


Same Old, Same Old

by directium



Category: Camp Camp
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Depression, Family Bonding, Fluff, Foster Family, High School, Mentions of suicidal tendencies, Teens, death mention, emotional breakdowns, memorial service
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 07:50:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8004367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/directium/pseuds/directium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lot might have changed for Max over the course of a year, but a lot of things seemed to stay the same. And sometimes that familiarity is needed after what feels like a lifetime of hardship.</p><p>(Just a series of ideas centered around an AU idea I had ages ago, and people liked it so much I decided to write it out)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Same Old, Same Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David's long since moved on from the heartbreak of Camp Campbell shutting down, and has become a foster parent. Now it's time for him to try and help that angry, little boy from all those summers ago overcome his own struggles.
> 
> EDIT as of 08/25: This was all written before the Parents Day episode, and while I did go back and tweak a few things in later chapters, I didn't change EVERYTHING to completely fit with the show's canon. Just keep that in mind!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Max and David's relationship is purely father/son-esque in this and the fact I have to spell that out on here is sad but whatever. Anyway, shippers better keep their mitts off this fic, because I don't want y'all anywhere near my stuff)

Max hadn't said a word since he'd arrived at David's house.

Not that David didn't understand his silence. He was having a difficult time finding his own words, so he could only imagine how Max felt.

He had known that the child he would be fostering was named Max, and he had heard from the social worker that he had been a bit of a handful over the past year ("A problem child," she had said. "A lot of his families couldn't handle his behavior."), but he had figured it was all mere coincidence.

He never dreamed he'd be taking that same little boy from Camp Campbell all those years ago.

 _Camp Campbell..._ Even now, the name flooded David's head with memories, both good and bad. The worst day of his life had been the day Mr. Campbell had finally dug himself into too deep a hole with the government and the camp was shut down by force while he was hauled off to prison.

But despite his heartbreak, David had moved on with his life. Packed up, moved to the city, and even taken several classes on childcare before eventually deciding to be a foster parent. Even if Camp Campbell was taken away from him, he had done everything he could to keep that Camp Campbell spirit alive and kicking in everything he did and every child he helped throughout the years.

And then that little boy from so long ago showed up on his doorstep, aged up about five years and looking like he lost the tiniest amount of hope he didn't realize he had left.

Max hadn't moved from the spot on David's couch that he had claimed when the social worker finally left, and a pair of black headphones was settled in place over his head while music that was probably too loud blasted through them. He had grown several feet since the last time David saw him and had traded that familiar blue hoodie in for a black one, with some kind of unfamiliar logo on the front. And David had noticed a silver hoop in the teen's left eyebrow when he had first arrived (somehow he wasn't surprised). But there was no mistaking that curly mess of dark hair, those bright green eyes, or that familiar scowl that David had seen on a regular basis all those summers ago.

"Max?"

David knelt down beside the couch so the two of them were at eye level (a wave of memories flooded over David as he remembered how little Max used to be during their summers at Camp Campbell) and waited for Max to notice him. At first it seemed like Max was going to just ignore his presence completely, but soon he did look up.

"What do you want, David?" he asked, lifting up one of his headphones so he could hear.

His voice still had that nasally squeak to it, though it was definitely deeper than it had been when he was ten. David felt a burst of nostalgia at the thought of how often he'd hear "Suck a dick, David!" or some other vulgar outburst in that squeaky little voice of his. And the fact that Max wasn't ignoring him completely was definitely a relief.

But now that he had the boy's attention, what did he want to say? What SHOULD he say? David felt like even a simple 'how have you been?' would only be rubbing salt in the wound, based on what he had been told about Max's experiences with his previous foster families and life in general. 'It's been so long, you've gotten so big since the last time I saw you?' No, definitely too condescending.

Finally, he settled on asking: "Do you...need anything?"

Max blinked, not taking his eyes off David. "Do I need anything?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he sat up straight and removed his headphones completely. "That's all you want to ask me after not seeing me for five years?"

"Well, I feel like it's the most appropriate thing to ask," David explained honestly. "I mean, we've already met, so that gets those pesky introductions out of the way—"

"David, just...stop."

David stared at him, perplexed. "Stop what, Max?"

"Trying to get me to open up to you," Max said. "I'm not a fucking idiot, David. I know you probably have a billion questions about what's happened to me after all this time. Why I'm here, what happened to my parents... People ALWAYS have questions. Questions that are never any of their fucking business but they ask anyway."

"I'm not going to pry, Max," David assured him. "If you'd rather not talk about your parents or the things you've gone through, then I won't make you. I just want to make you feel as comfortable as possible here..."

Max crossed his arms tightly. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that before..."

"I'm serious, Max," David insisted. "You know I care about you."

"No, you care about some stupid ten-year-old you remember from summer camp," Max said, his voice rising. "You care about the little smart ass who thought being shipped off to some godawful camp for the summer was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. The little brat who thought he had an idea of how much the world fucking sucks, when in reality, he had no idea how it could get any worse!"

Max's voice only seemed to grow louder and angrier as he kept speaking: "You don't care about some depressed fifteen-year-old foster kid. No one ever really does. They all say they do at first, but then I start getting angry or moody or having nightmares because hey, newsflash, my parents are fucking dead and I'm never going to get over that no matter how much these assholes want me to think of them as my 'new' mom or dad, and they just get tired of dealing with me."

Max's shoulders drooped. "So don't even pretend you care about me, because I'm tired of people saying they do before they realize how fucked up I am and toss me to another family when they're sick of me! You've already seen what an asshole I am so why not just save yourself some trouble and get rid of me like everyone else did?"

Max pulled his legs close to his chest, his face half-pressed against his knees. "You don't care about me... No one does."

David stared at him for a moment in stunned silence. "Do you really think I don't care about you anymore, Max? Me? Of all people?"

Max shrugged, not lifting his head. "Five years is a long time. People change, personalities change, everything changes. I mean, look at you. Living in an actual house? Away from Camp Campbell? That shitty camp was your entire life, and now you're just...living domestically? I didn't think you knew what 'domestic' even meant! For all I know, the real world has broken you and you've just turned into some nine-to-five office worker who's as bitter and sad as everyone else. Someone who no longer cares about helping people or being that cheerful, obnoxious, shove-Camp-Campbell-spirit-down-your-throat-until-you-choke-on-it person you used to be..."

His voiced lowered to a whisper. "So why even bother getting my hopes up?"

David's expression softened. "Max, do you remember what I told you all those years ago? That day at the bonfire?"

Max shrugged. "Something about how you'll never stop trying. Because someone has to. But that doesn't mean—"

"Do you know what I've been doing since the camp closed?" David asked. "I've been working with children. I decided I wanted to still be a role model for the kids who needed one. Someone who could help kids, someone that they could come to if they needed a good adult figure in their lives. Or if there was nothing I could do to help them, I wanted to at least make sure they knew that someone in their life loved them. Someone who could keep that Camp Campbell spirit alive and kicking even if the camp was long gone. I never wanted to stop trying, and I never have. And not a day has passed where I haven't held myself to that."

Max lifted his head a bit. "I know you've been through a lot over the past year, Max, and I realize that some nice words aren't just going to make all your problems disappear," David continued. "And I know it's been a long time since we've seen each other and the two of us have changed a lot since then. But a lot of things have also stayed the same. I still care about you as much as I did back then, and I want to do everything I can to help you. I can't promise that it'll always go smoothly but I can promise that as long as you need me, I'll be here for you."

Without warning, Max leapt up from the couch and almost knocked David to the ground in a tight hug. David could feel Max's thin arms shaking as if he were on the verge of crying.

"It was a fire..." Max said softly. "My parents, they died in a fire. I had sneaked out with some friends because I was grounded and pissed off that I couldn't go out. I didn't find out until I got back..."

David hugged him in return. "I'm sorry, Max."

"I still have nightmares. It's why my first family didn't want me. I actually kicked one of the other kids they were fostering in my sleep because he got too close to my bed when I was having one."

"That's horrible," David said, holding him tighter.

"You're not going to kick me out if I do that to you, are you?" Max asked.

"Of course not," David assured him.

"I've done a lot of stuff that's gotten me into trouble," Max admitted. "More than I used to. Skipping school, stealing money from my old foster parents to try and buy cigarettes. It failed, but I tried. Getting into fights because some jerkass kid doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut. Seriously, I could have given Nurf a run for his money back in the day. Are you really sure you want a kid like that?"

"I can't think of anyone better," David said honestly.

"You're a terrible liar..."

"I've said nothing but the truth."

"I'm so fucking tired, David."

"I know, Max."

Max fell silent after that response but continued to hold onto him for a few minutes, before he finally let his arms fall to his side and David stood up straight again. He noticed Max casually brushing his eyes in a way that seemed to imply he had been crying but he didn't want David to know.

"Don't look too deeply into that," he said halfheartedly. "I just...needed to make sure you were serious...about still caring..."

David's smile widened as he reached up to ruffle that curly mess of hair on Max's head, much to the teenager's unhappiness ("Hey, come on, don't start with that!").

Some things never changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://directium.tumblr.com/post/150179433966/cc-au-where-camp-campbell-does-eventually-get-shut People were saying I should write it so here we are.
> 
> And the rest of the chapters are more expanding on this AU at my own leisure/when I have ideas.


	2. The More Things Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back to school was an inevitable fate for Max, especially with David as his guardian. But perhaps, much like his new home life, it'll be that familiar kind of different that Max really needs after such a terrible year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a sequel to the previous chapter, but less 'Foster Family AU' and more 'High School AU'.

"I do _not_ want to do this."

David chuckled as he set the car to park before turning to Max. "I know you don't. But unfortunately, I don't think your social worker will be happy if I tell her that I allowed you to stop going to school simply because 'you didn't want to'."

Max crossed his arms harder and glared out the window. "I won't tell if you don't."

" _Max_..."

Max sighed heavily. "Look, what's the fucking point in going anyway? The American education system is fucked beyond belief, so it's not like I'll actually learn anything useful if I go."

"You might make some new friends," David pointed out optimistically.

Max turned his glare from the window to David. "Seriously?"

"Or, if you'd rather not go to school, I could let you accompany me to the daycare center," David said. "Those little tykes _love_ it whenever bigger kids come to play with them."

"I think I'd rather staple my mouth shut," Max said bitterly. "Also, while we're on the subject, can I get my lip pierced?"

"Only if you go to school and stay there _all_ day," David said. "No skipping."

"Can I fight someone?" Max asked.

"Only if they start it, or they say something incredibly, and intentionally, offensive," David said. "While I would rather you not get into fights at all, I'd excuse it in...certain circumstances."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you're not only telling me to fight someone, but to fight them if they're being an offensive fuckhead? What happened to the passive, white guy who couldn't tell the difference between Native Americans and actual Indians from India?"

"Five years is a long time, Max," David pointed out. "You learn things. You become...ashamed of certain past behaviors. You grow up a bit."

Max stared at him for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. "Alright, alright, I'll go to school. I won't like it and I don't promise to get straight As or anything. But I'll go."

"As long as you try your best, I'm happy," David said with a smile, as he reached over to ruffle Max's hair.

"Ugh, don't start," Max said, and swatted his hand away before he opened his car door. "Also you better say goodbye to me right now because if you pull some embarrassing shit like yelling it at me when I'm several feet away from the car, I'm going to turn around and throw the nearest heavy object as hard as I can through your windshield. And no 'I love you's either."

"Why don't you just rip out my heart, then?" David asked dramatically.

"...I can put something through the windshield now, if that's what you want."

David shook his head. "Have a good day, Max. Call me if there's any trouble."

"Yeah, whatever."

Max shut the car door and turned to face the building before him with a scowl. He had seen about three different high schools over the course of a year, and all of them looked exactly the same. Just a big, dull building surrounded by depressed teenagers who didn't want to be there.

Well, at least he'd fit in.

The inside of the school looked pretty on par with the rest of his schools, as well. A bunch of annoyingly-bright, neon posters everywhere that advertised some school club or event or whatever-the-fuck-else, more depressed teens, and the faint scent of body spray and whatever they were serving in the cafeteria that day.

Max pulled the sheet of paper that listed his classes and locker number out of his sweatshirt pocket. Of _course_ they'd put his locker on the opposite end of the school. He shook his head and continued on down the nearest hallway, in the hopes he would find the stairwell quickly.

"Max?!"

Max glanced up from the paper at the sound of his name, slightly confused as he looked around for the source. It was his first day, how the fuck did anyone know his name? Then again, Max wasn't exactly an unusual name. Maybe there was another kid nearby that shared the same name as him.

This thought was immediately debunked as he felt someone tap his shoulder from behind, and a strong feeling similar to the one that Max had felt when he saw David for the first time in five years washed over him as he turned around and stared at the person before him.

The boy was thin and lanky, not to mention _tall_ , and Max could see the faintest hint of a soul patch on his chin. His curly, brown hair was about shoulder length, and his bright, blue eyes rested behind a pair of thick-brimmed glasses.

_Blue eyes... Curly, brown hair..._

Max didn't dare to hope until his eyes landed on the boy's shirt and noticed it had a stupid science pun ("I tell bad chemistry jokes because all the good ones Argon") displayed on the front.

"...Holy shit, _Neil_?"

"Oh, my god, it _is_ you!"

Max's arms were around Neil in a tight embrace before he could even process what was happening. Neil not only hugged him in return, but also gave his head a playful noogie. "I saw you at the front doors, but I thought it might have been a trick of the light or maybe it was just another kid who looked exactly like that little shit from Camp Campbell. But it's really you! You're really here!"

"Yeah, I...I'm here," Max said, his mouth curling into a fond smile as he pushed Neil off of him. "And you're here apparently. You go to school here? I'm surprised you haven't been accepted into Harvard by now, or something."

Neil scoffed. "Harvard's overrated. Besides, if I went to college now, I'd just struggle to keep up with everyone else. Attending public school allows me to easily keep the highest grades in the school, and the sense of self-worth I tie to such a title, for just a little longer. I know that the grades I get here will pretty much be worthless in the long run, but I take what I can get."

"Still a goddamn nerd," Max said, shaking his head. "A _tall_ nerd. Seriously, how do you not hit your head on the ceilings, especially with how inflated it is?"

"I don't know, how do you manage to reach the doorknob at your height?" Neil said with a smirk as he waved his hand over Max's head. "I mean, did you grow at _all_ since the age of ten?"

"Hey, shut the fuck up before I kick you in the shins," Max said with the little anger he could muster up in his amused state. "Then we'll be the exact same height."

Neil laughed and nudged him. "Still a loudmouthed brat after all these years, huh?"

"And you're still a nerd," Max said, laughing as he pushed him back. "I mean, seriously, what the fuck is with that shirt? And those _glasses_? Taking the scientist thing too far, huh? Also what the _fuck_ is that on your chin?"

"Hey, these are prescription," Neil pointed out, with a tap to his glasses. "And the frame sizes were my mom's idea."

"Dude, no offense, but your mom wants you to get bullied," Max said. "And I didn't hear any excuses for that shirt or the fuzzy thing on your chin. Seriously, what _is_ that? Do you not know how to use a razor?"

"You make fun of me, and yet you walk about with _that_ thing in your eyebrow?" Neil asked, pointing at Max's piercing. "And a sweater that makes you look like you jumped straight out of a My Chemical Romance song?"

Max smirked and crossed his arms. "Hey, it's better than looking like I walked straight out of The Big Bang Theory."

"...That's cold, Max. That's real cold."

Both boys stared at each other for a moment, before breaking out into another fit of laughter as they hugged each other again. "God, it's really good to see you again, dude," Neil said, staring at him. "You go to school here now?"

Max shrugged. "Not by choice. But you being here already makes it better than my last school, so that's a plus."

"God, it's been, what? Five years?" Neil asked. "What have you been up to?"

Max's smile fell. "That depends. How much free time do you have?"

\--------------

"I...I'm so sorry, Max."

"I didn't even find out until I got back," Max said, flicking a crumpled-up piece of paper across the table. "There were police there, and all the neighbors were outside. Some of them looked like they'd seen a ghost when they saw me coming up the street."

Neil gave him a sympathetic look. "So...what happened after that?"

"I bounced from foster family to foster family for most of the year," Max said. "None of them could handle me for more than a month or two. I mean, if you thought I was a brat when I was ten, just add teenage hormones and the loss of my parents on top of that mess."

"...Yikes."

"'Yikes' is fucking right," Max said, as he balled up another piece of paper. "I'm pretty sure the only reason I'm still alive at this point is because the universe hates me too much to end my suffering once and for all."

"...You know, we could talk about something else if you want," Neil suggested. "This sounds like a touchy subject for you."

"Nah, it's fine," Max said, once again flicking the paper ball across the table. "I mean, it's _not_ fine, but honestly, it...doesn't really hurt as much to talk about anymore. Well, okay, it does, but...it's been getting better lately. Which brings me to how I ended up here. You mind if I keep going or do you want me to shut up?"

"I'm all ears, keep going."

"Well, after a couple of families ditched me, I ended up in someone's else care," Max said, leaning back in his chair. "Now, I want you to stop and think about this for a moment, Neil, because this is going to blow your goddamn mind. After losing my parents in a house fire, and being tossed from one family to the next, you'd think the universe was done screwing me over, right?"

"Oh, no, what happened next?" Neil asked. 

Max held up a finger. "Just think about it for _one_ moment, Neil. Think about the tiny, angry boy from camp for a moment and the one person he hated most. I want you to take that information and combine it with the previous information I gave you, and then I want you to answer this question: after everything that's happened to me, what else could the universe _possibly_ do to screw me over?"

Neil thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with realization. "...No way. No fucking way."

Max let out a tired, closemouthed chuckle. "Guess who's my new guardian, Neil? Guess who's stupid face I now get to see every goddamn day of my life?"

" _David_ adopted you?!"

"He's _fostering_ me," Max corrected him. "Only fostering. Apparently the law finally caught up to Campbell and the camp was shut down after our summer there."

"They couldn't have shut it down _before_ the summer?" Neil asked bitterly.

"I know, right?" Max said. "But anyway, David said that after the camp closed, he got into the childcare business. Babysitting, daycare...pretty much anything involving taking care of kids. Not a surprise that he eventually wanted some of his own, so he became a foster parent. And, well, being a foster kid who had made a bad habit of getting kicked out of my families, I guess it was inevitable that I would end up in his care eventually."

"Holy shit..." Neil said in disbelief.

"And you wanna know the absolute _worst_ part of living with him?" Max asked. "The absolute fucking _worst_ part that you have to swear that you will never tell David in a million years or I will keep my promise about breaking your kneecaps?"

Neil held up his hands. "Hey, what happens in study hall stays in study hall."

"That's not a saying."

"Just tell me what the worst thing is, dude."

Max sighed. "The absolute worst thing is one of the best. Goddamn. Things to happen to me this year. No joke, no sarcasm, I'm being completely serious here. I've only been staying with him for a week, and yet I'm better off than I've been since my parents died. And I hate it because I guess it's not enough to lose my family and be stuck in an endless loop of being assigned to a foster family and then being kicked out, oh no, the universe decided that I can't even keep my _enemies_. I mean, what the fuck?"

Neil chuckled. "So, I'm guessing he's not that bad of a dad?"

"He's not my dad," Max said firmly. "But...he's alright. I said he's only fostering me, but...at the same time, I really don't see him getting rid of me like everyone else did. I haven't woken up feeling like it'll be my last day in a home before I have to pack up everything and start all over again for the millionth time since I've moved in with him. He's constantly checking on me, asking if I'm okay. Even when I tell him to leave me alone, he kinda just does that 'okay, but I'm here if you need to talk about anything' thing and still checks on me every so often. It's...weird, but it's not _bad_ , you know?"

Max shrugged. "I mean, he's still overbearing and annoying and if he tries to take me camping with him I'm going to shove that stupid Camp Campbell scrapbook he keeps on the coffee table down his throat, but at least he _cares_. None of my other families ever really felt like that. At least, not for long."

The bell rang overhead, signaling the end of the current period, and both boys let out a groan. "Ugh, study hall always end too quickly," Neil said. "Well, at least I have science next."

"Oh, what a _shocker_ it is that you're excited for science class," Max said sarcastically, pulling his schedule out of his pocket. "Can you at least show me where my math class is? The rooms in this school are labelled weird."

Neil nodded with a glance at the paper. "Funny enough, it's right next to the lab."

"Oh, so I'll be able to hear you being a massive teacher's pet in the next room?" Max asked. "I can't wait."

"The teacher had to invent the Triple-A-Plus in order to grade my papers more accurately," Neil said proudly. "Another kid once saw my grade when quizzes were being passed back, and I swear he started crying. Like, yeah bitch, you _wish_ you were as smart as me!"

"You fucking nerd," Max said with a laugh, before his expression fell. "Hey, look, uh...sorry for talking your ear off the entire time. I know I kinda unloaded everything on you, and I didn't really give you a chance to talk much—"

"Hey, you've had a rough year," Neil pointed out, as they headed out of study hall. "The most exciting thing I did this year was go to Comic Con."

"Again, _nerd_ ," Max said. "But still...sorry. I didn't even ask you what you've been up to or anything."

"I have an idea," Neil said as they came to a stop outside one of the classroom doors. "Why don't we hang out this weekend and catch up some more? I can even ask Nikki if she wants to join us."

"Nikki?" Max asked. "You guys kept in touch?"

"I mean, we only started talking again about a year ago," Neil said. "She lives in the next town, and we can only really hang out when she's not busy with her sports stuff—"

"Of-fucking-course she got into sports," Max said.

"But I'm sure she'll be excited to see you again," Neil said, smiling. "There's this burger place downtown that her and some of her other jock friends like to go to after games. She invites me sometimes, and then yells at the jock boys who try and pick on me."

"Again, of-fucking-course."

"Anyway, we could meet up there if you want," Neil said. "You in?"

Max smiled. "Yeah...alright, it sounds fun."

"Fun?" Neil raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't aware you even knew how to _have_ fun."

"Haha, go jerk off to a picture of Albert Einstein, asshole."

"Joke all you want, but you won't be laughing when you need help on your science homework and I refuse to give it to you because you insulted me."

"You're full of shit," Max said. "But seriously, I average at a D in Science. Do you tutor?"

"Better," Neil said. "I've got notes that go all the way into next year's lessons. I'll make a copy of them for you at lunch if you need them."

Max opened his mouth to speak, but Neil continued before he could get a word out: "And before you ask, yes, I can also give you a page of translations, so you don't have to ask me every few minutes what something means."

Mex smiled fondly. "After all this time, you still get me, Neil."

Neil gave him a wave before heading into the other classroom. Max felt his smile widen as he stared at the laboratory door for a moment before he pushed the door to his own class open and headed inside.

\-----------------

"You look a lot less angry than you did this morning," David said cheerfully. "Did you have a good first day?"

Max looked at him. "Did you know Neil went to school here?"

"Neil from camp?" David's eyes widened excitedly. "He goes to your school? Does he live around here? Oh, you should invite him over—"

"Yeah, yeah, already on top of that," Max interrupted. "We're hanging out with Nikki this weekend."

"And Nikki, too?" David let out a happy noise. "Aww, you did make friends today! I mean, technically they were _already_ your friends, but this is so exciting! I'm so happy you had such a good day! You did have a good day, didn't you, Max?"

"Alright, don't get too happy or you'll crash the fucking car, idiot," Max said, turning his attention to out to the window. "And yeah, I guess I did. I know I'll at least pass science class this semester, so that's good."

Maybe school wouldn't be _so_ bad, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, funny story. I hadn't originally planned on adding more to this AU. But a few days ago, I suddenly got hit with ideas as to how I could add Neil and/or Nikki into the mix, and I just began to write. And suddenly I had a whole mess of text written out and nothing to do with it.
> 
> So hey, you guys get more of this AU. I might do another chapter or two in the near future (I do want to write that meetup with Nikki that the boys mentioned near the end), but it all depends on whether or not my energy sticks around. I also got plans for a completely different Camp Camp thing that I may or may not post too, so keep an eye out for that.


	3. Only Time Will Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finally gets to see Nikki again after five years. But will he be able to click with her just as easily as he had with Neil after such a long time?

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait with you two until she gets here?"

"We're _sure_ , David," Max said, crossing his arms.

"I mean, if you really want me to stay here, I can!" David insisted. "I have all the time in the world to wait!"

Max looked at him. "...You were going to take pictures, weren't you?"

David's smiled widened as he held up the camera in his hands. "It's been five years since the three of you were together! It's a perfect opportunity to snap a few for the scrapbook!"

"Absolutely not," Max said. "Not in a million years."

"But _Max—_ " David sighed heavily. "Alright, I get it. You kids don't want an adult hanging around and ruining your fun. You wanna be all grown up, right?"

"If I say yes, will you leave?"

David chuckled and started the car. "Just call me when you need to be picked up, or if you need anything—"

"David, holy shit, just go home!"

His smile widening, David rolled up the car window and headed out of the restaurant parking lot. Max let out a sigh once the car was finally out of sight. "God, I thought he'd never leave."

"Are you okay, dude? Neil asked. "You seem pretty crabby today, even moreso than usual."

"Your face is crabby," Max said, kicking a rock at his feet.

"Come on, man, what's wrong?" Neil asked. "You can tell me."

Max shrugged. "I don't know... I guess I'm just a little nervous about seeing Nikki again."

"You need to talk about it?" Neil asked, as he took a seat on the curb and patted the spot beside him.

"What are we, in the nineties?"

"Hey, do you see a bench nearby?" Neil pointed out.

"...Fair point," Max said, taking a seat beside him.

"So _why_ are you nervous about seeing Nikki?" Neil asked. "It's only Nikki."

"Yeah, a Nikki I haven't seen in five years," Max pointed out. "People _change_ , Neil."

"Trust me, I've been talking to her for about a year," Neil assured him. "She's still the same old Nikki. And it's not like either of us changed much since camp, right?"

"Yeah, except for my declining mental health," Max pointed out. "But I guess you have a point. I mean, my anxiety's still being annoying as shit, but that helps a little bit."

"Do you...like, have a crush on Nikki or something?" Neil asked. "Is that why you're so stressed about seeing her again?"

"What? Ew, no!" Max said, making a face. "She was like my little sister, dude!"

"Yeah, that's what they _all_ say!" Neil said with a laugh.

"Shut the fuck up!" Max said. "Besides, how do I know _you_ aren't the one with a crush on her?"

" _Trust_ me, I'm not."

Max raised an eyebrow. "What the hell's that supposed to mean? What, do you have a crush on someone else?"

A light blush spread across Neil's face as he looked towards the opposite end of the parking lot, but he remained silent.

"...Neil?" Max asked.

Still no response.

"...Oh, my God, you do, don't you?!"

"Hey, there she is!"

"Don't change the subject!"

"No, I'm serious," Neil said, pointing. "That's her."

Sure enough, a white truck had pulled into the restaurant parking lot, and both boys stood up as it came to a stop near them. The passenger door was kicked open by a booted foot, and the culprit leaped out of the truck and landed in front of them with an excited cackle.

If Max hadn't known in advance that the person before him was Nikki, he would have never been able to guess if his life depended on it. Or at least, not at a first glance. Unlike Neil, who's appearance had remained fairly similar with only minor changes, her curly, mint-green pigtails had been replaced with a light-blue, side-shave haircut that covered the left side of her face. And instead of red overalls, she now wore a black-and-blue (a light, cobalt blue that matched her hair) varsity jacket that Max would expect some generic jock meathead to wear, denim jeans that had clearly seen better, less dirty days, and heavy, black boots that had been worn down with time.

But as Max looked closer, he knew there was no mistaking that wide smile or that 'I once ate twelve pine cones in one afternoon and would probably wrestle Bigfoot in a match to the death if you dared me to' look in her eyes. A kind of look that could only be described as 'Nikki-esque'.

"Thanks for the ride, Anderson!" she said, turning back to the driver of the truck.

"Anything for you, Niks!" he said enthusiastically. "You need a ride home later?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, Mom was in one of her _moods_ before I left. I might crash at someone's house if I need to. Either that, or head back to the school and sleep in the locker rooms again. Let me get back to you on that."

Anderson gave her a wave before she slammed the door shut and he drove off. With a wide smile, she spun around on the heel of her boot until she was facing Max and Neil. "Hey, nerds! Didja miss me?"

"Nikki, I saw you last week," Neil pointed out.

"That's still enough time to miss me!" Nikki said, her smile growing bigger as she approached them. "At least, I hope it is. Plus, I was more talking to Max, anyway."

Max stared at her in stunned silence for a moment before he opened his mouth: "You...are taller than me."

"Huh?"

"You're taller than me," he said, narrowing his eyes. "What the hell, when did that happen?!"

Sure enough, now that the two of them were standing face-to-face, Max could tell that Nikki was a few inches taller than him. Not as tall as Neil, but the difference was still obvious.

Nikki laughed and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Well, damn, I guess I am!"

"I told you he didn't grow at all since camp," Neil said in an amused tone.

"You're both assholes!" Max griped. "Freakishly tall assholes!"

This comment made Nikki laughed harder. "God, it's so _good_ to hear that angry voice again! How've you been?"

"Other than hurt over being betrayed by the people I trust?" Max asked, his mouth curling into a smile. "Depressed, mostly. Or pissed off. Or tired. Or a mix of all three."

"Yeah, Neil told me everything that happened," she said, her smile fading for a moment before returning instantly. "But I'm happy to hear you live so close now! And with _David_?! We can hang out just like old times!"

"Wasn't that kind of what we were supposed to be doing today?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah!" Nikki said with a laugh. "But I mean, we can do it all the time! Speaking of which, let's head inside because I am _starving_! Also I can get us the best table in the restaurant while wearing _this_." She tapped the front of her jacket proudly. "Athletic discount, baby!"

"That's a thing?" Max asked, as the three of them approached the restaurant entrance.

"Yeah, I guess it's some kind of tradition between the high schools in the area and Goldberg's," Nikki explained. "The football teams came here so often after games that they eventually decided to just start giving everyone a discount for the good business. All you gotta do to get it is wear your varsity jacket."

"That sounds like it could backfire horribly," Max pointed out. "What if someone steals your jacket and tries to take advantage of the perks?"

"They also have a list of names of people on each team," Neil spoke up. "It seems like a lot of effort on the restaurant's end, but hey, I get my burger for half-price when I'm with Nikki, so I'm not going to complain."

Max shrugged as he followed them into the restaurant. The idea still made no sense to him, but he definitely wasn't about to pass on paying less for his food.

\-------------------

"So...football, huh?"

"Youngest player on the team in about ten years," Nikki boasted proudly. "Coach is also the school's PE teacher and, well, he saw how good I was in that subject and how much energy I had. He suggested the idea of letting me join the team to my mom, and she signed me up. I think it was just to keep me out of the house more, but hey, I get to tackle people and the amount of football field dirt I end up rolling in on a regular basis keeps my allergies at bay, so I take what I can get."

"Your mom's still giving you trouble?" Max asked.

Nikki fiddled with the straw in her drink. "Eh, depends on the day usually. And if she's in an especially bad mood, I usually tend to crash at someone's house for the night. Or, like I said earlier, just break into the school locker rooms and sleep there."

"That's awful, Nikki. I'm sorry."

Nikki shrugged. "Hey, life sucks sometimes, but I got my teammates to look out for me, and now I got both my best pals from camp to hang out with! And also..."

"Oh, here we go," Neil said with a knowing smile.

Nikki's smile also widened as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. After scrolling through her photos for a moment, she held it out in front of her for Max to see.

It was a picture of her and two other girls, cheerleaders by the looks of their outfits. It looked liked the picture had been taken after one of the football games, one that their team had won if Max were to judge by the rest of the football team cheering in the background.

"That's Cody and Natalia," Nikki said fondly. "It's me and my gals~!"

Max raised an eyebrow. "So, when you say _your_ gals, do you mean..."

Nikki put her phone back in her pocket. "So, do you remember how back at camp, I was, like, _completely_ obsessed with Ered? And how cool I thought she was and all that jazz? Turns out there was a reason for that."

"...Okay, so I'm _pretty_ sure I know what you're hinting at," Max said slowly. "But I just want to make sure I'm not, like, being super offensive for immediately going there—"

"Yeah, I really, _really_ like girls, Max," Nikki finished for him. "Like a ton. I mean, the day that I realized that I could actually _date_ the cool girls I used to look up to was one of the best days of my life!"

Max stared at her. "That...actually does make a lot of sense the more I think about it. I mean, no _wonder_ you were so hung up on trying to impress Ered."

"Yep! Turns out I'm just super gay!" Nikki said cheerfully. "And it's _awesome!_ "

"Well, I'm happy for you, Nikki," Max said. "Even if you are a horrible traitor. I mean, first you're taller than me and then I find out you're a Cool Kid who's dating other cool kids? Damn, it's like I have no idea who you are anymore!"

Nikki snorted and flicked a fry at him. "Oh, shut up, you big jerk! Or should I say _little_ jerk?"

"Ha! I should have used that when I first saw him!" Neil said with a laugh.

"No, you shut your fucking mouth!" Max said, pointing at him. "You already poked fun at my size, you don't get to do it again!"

"Oh, there's definitely something fun about your size, alright," Neil said. "Get it? Fun-sized? _Small?_ "

Max gave him a _look_. "By the way, you never answered my question from earlier, dickhead."

"What question?"

"The one about you having a crush on someone?"

Neil's smile fell and he quickly distracted himself with his drink in an attempt to dodge the conversation, a motion that Nikki did not miss. "Oh, you asked Neil if he had a crush?"

"Yeah, while we were waiting for you," Max said. 

"And what did he say?" she asked, casting Neil a knowing smile.

"Shut _up_ , Nikki!" Neil hissed.

"...Wait, does Nikki know who it is?!" Max asked in disbelief. "Nikki, come on, spill the beans!"

"Sorry, Max," Nikki said innocently. "My lips are sealed unless he decides to talk about it. His business, not mine."

Max looked back at Neil. "Come _on_ , man! I won't laugh, if that's what you're worried about!"

"I'm not worried you'll laugh," Neil explained. "I'm worried you'll question my taste in people."

"...What, is it a guy?" Max asked. "Because if that's it, I'm not gonna—"

"It's not that!" Neil said. "I mean...well, it is, but it's not. And it's not...really a crush anymore, since we're actually dating."

"Alright, so you've got a boyfriend. That's cool, good for you," Max said. "Do you wanna tell me who he is?"

Neil sighed. "...So, remember when I told you that the most exciting thing I did this year was go to Comic Con?"

"Yeah," Max said. "What, did you meet him there?"

"Well, I was walking around the con," Neil continued. "I...may have passed by the DnD area at one point."

"Your boyfriend's a DnD nerd?" Max asked. "That's not that weird. I mean, I'm _surprised_ that you of all people would date someone who's interested in magic and dragons and shit. I mean, remember how pissed off you were with Harrison and his bullshit?"

"...You know, it's funny you should mention Harrison," Neil said, sinking lower into his seat while Nikki buried her face in her sleeves in an attempt to hide her uncontrollable giggles.

Max looked between them with slight confusion, before something began to click into place. "...Neil."

"...So, Harrison was at Comic Con..."

" _Neil_."

"And we might have talked. A lot."

" _NEIL_."

"And decided to get dinner together."

"Okay, you need to back up and explain _everything_ , because what the ever-loving _fuck_ , Neil?!" Max asked in disbelief. "Harrison?! You're dating _Harrison_?!"

"Look, I know what you're thinking," Neil said. "And I know you don't like him—"

"Oh, I don't give a shit about him one way or another," Max said. "Sure, the guy made me the butt of one of his tricks, but after all the shit I've been through, it's really not worth holding a grudge over, you know? But, like...don't _you_ hate the guy? Didn't you once spend an entire day trying to disprove his trick, to an almost-obsessive degree—"

Max paused mid-sentence. "...Okay, so am I the only one here who didn't have some kind of gay crush on someone at that fucking camp?"

"What about Preston?" Nikki asked.

"What _about_ him?" Max asked, eyeing her. "Guy was an over-dramatic dickhead who wrote shitty plays."

"Uh-huh," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Put those the fuck down," Max said, squinting at her. "Let's get back to the main topic here, which is Neil and Harrison being a thing. Which I'm fully supportive of, don't get me wrong. But like...there's irony, and then there's big, science-nerd Neil dating _Harrison!_ "

"I'm still not sure how it happened, honestly," Neil admitted. "I mean, I saw him at the con, and...I don't know, maybe I've grown up since camp or maybe he's grown up, or hell, maybe we _both_ grew up. But he's honestly not as big of a prick as he used to be. I mean, I still have no idea how he does his tricks and I do plan on getting that out of him one of these days but at the same time, it's like...even if I don't, I still like being around him."

"You don't care about figuring out his magic tricks because it's how he sends you gifts," Nikki said knowingly, as she took a bite of her burger.

"He does what now?" Max asked.

Once again, a light blush spread across Neil's face. "Every couple of days, I'll come home from school and find something on my desk from him. There's no way he'd be able to get into the house to leave it for me, and my mom doesn't...really know about him yet so he can't leave them with her—"

"Oh, yikes. I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Neil said sadly. "But he usually gives me stuff for my lab, like new beakers or test tubes. Or he'll send me stuff he thinks I might like. Once he left me this really neat 'potions' kit, which I'm assuming he left in an attempt to sort-of merge my love for science with his love for magic. I thought it was sweet, and it turns out, there's actually a lot of chemistry involved in potion-making."

"Gayyyy," Nikki said with a laugh.

"Oh, shut up, Nikki," Neil said, glaring at her. "Like you're one to talk!"

"Hey, I've got two girlfriends and even I'm not as gay as you are for him," she said. 

"All jokes aside," Max said. "It is pretty cool that he makes you so happy. It's pretty cool that _both_ of you are dating people who make you so happy."

"Speaking of happy," Nikki said. "You definitely seem happier too, Max."

"I do?" Max asked with genuine surprise.

"I mean, back at camp you were always angry and always trying to ruin David's life," Nikki pointed out with a shrug. "I don't know, you seem a lot more relaxed now that you're actually living with him."

"Yeah, well...he doesn't exactly have much of a bar to clear when it comes to being a decent guardian after all the others I went through," Max said. "Plus, it's David. You know he puts a hundred-and-ten percent into it, even if no one asks him to, or _wants_ him to."

"Would it kill you to give him a compliment that isn't followed by an insult?" Neil asked with a smirk.

"Hey, I did it when we first talked in study hall," Max said. "That's enough complimenting him for one week."

Nikki laughed. "I always liked David, even back at camp. He was a ton of fun."

"Is there no end to the traitorous acts from you?" Max asked dramatically.

"No, and also I really think you should message Preston," Nikki said. "Honestly, the two of you would get along."

"I don't have a crush on Preston, Nikki!" Max insisted. "Besides, I doubt I'd be lucky enough to find anyone else from that summer in the area. I mean, I still can't believe I managed to find both of you and David all in the same area. Hell, Neil meeting Harrison at one of the biggest cons in the country probably makes the most sense out of any of this."

"Let's all be real," Neil said. "Anyone parent willing to send their kid to Camp Campbell for the summer wouldn't be willing to shell out the extra cash to send them to a camp out of state. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone from that summer lived somewhere nearby."

"Yeah, that's a fair point," Max said. "God, that camp was shit."

"I don't know," Nikki said. "We all met each other because of it. I can't hate it for introducing me to some of my best friends."

Max smiled at her. "Okay, now you can't call Neil the gayest thing here, because that was the gayest thing I've ever heard in my life."

"That's homophobic."

"...Is it really?"

"Nah, not really," Nikki said, laughing again. "Mostly because you're right."

\--------------------

"I told you she hadn't changed."

Max's smile widened as he continued to watch Nikki text away on her phone. "Yeah, okay, you were right. She's still Nikki."

"Also, uh...sorry for not telling you about Harrison before," Neil said.

"Hey, I get it. You were worried about what'd I'd think," Max said. "I mean, I'll make fun of you for dating Harrison, but not because he's a guy. It's because it's fucking Harrison. But if I go too far, just let me know and I'll back off."

Neil smiled and nudged his shoulder playfully. "Well, you're taking it better than my mom would."

"Yeah, I really don't like your mom," Max said with a scowl. "Or Nikki's, for that matter. You two deserve better."

"Okay, don't kill me for saying this, but you _really_ sounded like David right there."

"...Ew," Max said, making a face. "But speaking of him, he wanted to know if either of you wanted to stay the night. I think he's probably more excited about me having friends to hang out with than I am."

"I'm in," Neil said. "And Nikki did say she needed a place to stay for the night."

"That's true," Max said, before turning his attention to Nikki. "Hey, Nikki! You wanna spend the night?"

"Sure!" Nikki said excitedly. "Mom's still in a mood, anyway. Plus I want to see if your room's as edgy as that sweater you're wearing."

"Hey, Hatred of Red Olives is a _good_ band, and fuck the both of you for making fun of them," Max said defensively, as his eyes drifted to the car pulling into the parking lot. "Also, David's here."

David honked the horn enthusiastically as he came to a stop in the parking spot beside them. "Hi, kids! Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was fine," Max said. "Also they said yes to the sleepover thing."

David let out a noise of delight as he lifted the camera into view. "Oh, I knew they'd say yes! There's going to be so many scrapbook opportunities tonight!"

"If you snap so much as one picture of me, I'll throw your camera out the window," Max said. "And not any of the house windows, I'll chuck it right out of the car while you're going fifty."

"Hi, David!" Nikki said, waving at him. "Long time no see!"

"Hello, Nikki!" David said. "It's so wonderful to see you again! I almost didn't recognize you, you've grown so much!"

"It's great to see you, too!" Nikki said, smiling. "Honestly, it's a little weird. I half-expected you to be dead by now."

"Nikki, I'm not _that_ old," David said, amused.

"No, I mean, I just never saw you living past twenty-seven for some reason," she said. "I don't know, maybe it's because of how many times I saw you get hit by a bus. Or hit. Or stabbed. Crushed. Mangled. Maybe I just subconsciously thought there'd come a day where you'd suddenly stop being invincible and crumble like a house of cards."

Max had to restrain himself from doubling over in a fit of laughter at her comment and the surprised look on David's face. Okay, Neil had definitely been right about Nikki staying the same after all these years. And not just her, but Neil, David, even Max himself...

A wave of realization washed over Max, as his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had shared with David the day he'd been placed in his care. How a lot of things might have changed over the years, but a lot of things had also stayed the same.

The idea had definitely been comforting to Max at the time, but he hadn't been entirely sure if he could really believe in it. He knew just how much people would and did change with time, he knew that no matter how good you thought you had it, there was always a way for life to royally screw you over.

But as he stared at the three of them, he could almost feel that worry in the back of his mind disappear for good. The worry that kept telling him it wouldn't last, that there was always a chance that one of them (or _all_ of them) would eventually get sick of him like everyone else, or that he could easily lose them like he had lost his parents.

But for once in what felt like a lifetime, he found it easier to push that worry away. He knew it would rear its ugly head again in time. But for now, he had a parent who cared about him after so many proved to be uncaring. He had friends he could trust after a year of having little to none.

Nikki was right. He _was_ happier. Happier than he'd been in a long, long time.

"...Hey, David?"

"Yes?"

"...Maybe we could take one picture. Just because I know you'll cry if I don't agree to it and I don't want to deal with that all evening."

David's eyes lit up. "Of course! And it's such a perfect moment for one! I mean, look at the sunset—"

"Don't make me change my mind," Max said, with a look to the others. "Neil, Nik, you guys alright with a pic?"

"Sure!" Nikki said. "Only if I can get a copy. I'll put it up in my locker, next to the picture someone took of me pulling a live possum out of the school dumpster."

"I can't think of a higher honor," Max said with a smile.

"I'd like a copy of it, too," Neil said.

"Of course you can all get a picture," David assured them, as he held up the camera again with a wide smile. "Alright, everyone get close together and give me a big smile! That means you too, Max!"

"Haha, I could still toss your camera out the window on the way home," Max said, glaring at him.

David shook his head and held up the camera. Max couldn't resist giving him the requested smile as the picture was taken, even if he _knew_ David would never let him live it down. He never wanted to forget how genuinely happy he felt in this moment, and he was willing deal with a lifetime of David fawning over how 'sweet his smile looked' or 'how happy he was' or some other overly doting bullshit as a result.

Plus there was always the option to hide David's copy later. Now _that_ would definitely make him happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, Nikki's a polyamorous lesbian. And Neil's...I don't know, he's whatever he wants to be. He just likes Harrison (whoops some of my ships are showing here haha). And Max is still dealing with his depression.
> 
> Also I have no idea if I'll add more onto this fic. Maybe when s2 comes around I'll have more ideas. Or maybe I'll leave it as is. Only time will tell (heh).


	4. The Long Road Home Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Troubling news sends Max down a path that he thought he had left behind. A path that would be a lot less difficult to take with help. But asking for help can feel like a risky move after going so long without, and Max struggles with the choices he should make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, I'm finally updating this. With three new chapters! Haha, you see why it took so long to update? I had a really big idea for the next few parts and I wanted to get it right.
> 
> Also there's a bunch of new warnings up in the tags. I wouldn't take them lightly. You've been warned.
> 
> (Also spoilers for season 2. This includes the most recent episode 'Jasper Dies At the End'.)

"Took you nerds long enough to get here!"

"Nikki, there are other stops before ours," Max said, as he stepped out of the bus and onto the pavement.

"Yeah, we don't have big jock friends who can drive us around like you!" Neil added, following suit.

Nikki laughed as they came to a stop beside her. "Hey, I asked if you guys wanted to be picked up from school, but you said no."

"Yeah, because Stasson likes to keep his front windows rolled down at fifty miles an hour," Neil pointed out. "I catch colds easily, Nik, you know that!"

"Plus, the guy's taste in music is shit," Max added, kicking a pebble off the sidewalk as they began to head up the street.

"Hey, I thought you liked metal!" Nikki pointed out.

"Yeah, I do," Max said. "But there's good metal and then there's metal that sounds like screws in a blender. In a washing machine."

"Says the guy who listens to Hatred of Red Olives," Neil said with a smirk.

Max scowled at him. "You got something you wanna fucking say to me?"

"Yeah, I wanna say your taste in music is pretentious," Neil said smugly. "I mean, really? 'Hatred of Red Olives'? What the fuck does that name even mean?"

"Maybe they just really hate red olives," Max said defensively, and tossed his hands up in the air. "Maybe the 'red olives' represent the man keeping us all down. Fuck if I know! Either way, their music's amazing and highly underrated."

"Hey, speaking of olives," Nikki said. "You think David will let us order pizza for dinner?"

"God, I hope so," Max said. "It's perfect movie night food."

"So, what movie are we deciding on, anyway?" Neil asked.

"I think 'The Cult Camp of Murder-Suicide Lake' is on tonight," Nikki said.

Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on Daniel's biography, thanks."

"Oh, _wow_ , I'd completely forgotten about him," Nikki said. "God, that was a weird day, wasn't it?"

"If by weird, you mean we almost died," Max said, "then yeah, I'd say it was really weird."

"Think he lived through that whole Kool-Aid thing?" Neil asked.

"I fucking _hope_ not," Max said, making a face. "Now, I'm not normally one to believe in being assigned to a place after death based on your actions in life, but if I were, I would hope that he's drinking rat-poison-flavored Kool-Aid in the deepest pit of Hell for all eternity."

"You guys ever wonder what it'd feel like to die?" Nikki asked curiously. "I mean, not like...by killing yourself as a part of some horrible cult or anything, but just in general. You think it would hurt?"

Max stopped mid-step. "You know, it's funny...I've actually thought a lot about that since my parents died."

Nikki's smile fell. "Oh, Max, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's fine," Max said. "I don't really do it much anymore, not since I moved in with David. But sometimes when I was really miserable, I'd just think about what would have happened if I decided to stay home the night of the fire. Whether I would have been able to catch it in time, or if I would have just died with my parents? Did they die in their sleep or did they suffer? Would I have suffered? Pretty morbid shit like that."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Neil giving him a sympathetic look. "You okay, pal? You need to get anything off your chest?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Max assured him, as he started walking again. "I can stop being a downer if you want."

"Hey, if you need to talk, we're all ears," Neil said. "Right, Nikki?"

"Yeah, absolutely," Nikki said as she began to balance on the edge of the curb. "You can trust us, Max."

"I know I can," Max said. "You guys are amazing. But honestly, there's not much else to say about it. They died and I was shipped off to a foster home. End of story."

"Wait, did you even get to attend their funeral?" Neil asked.

"Nope," Max said. "They didn't get one."

"They didn't?" Nikki asked.

"We have no family in this country," Max admitted. "And we weren't close to anyone outside of it. So there was no one outside of a depressed, jobless, fourteen-year-old to pay for a funeral, which meant they didn't get one at all."

"Wow..." Neil said in disbelief. "Life really can't cut you a break, can it?"

"You have no idea, pal."

"Hey, is that David's car?"

Nikki's question caused Max to turn his gaze from Neil and towards David's home at the end of the street. "...That _is_ David's car. What the fuck is he doing home so early?"

"Maybe he quit his job?" Nikki suggested.

Max raised an eyebrow at her. "David? Quit a job that involves caring for children? One of the thing he loves more than life itself?"

"...Good point."

"Maybe he got sick?" Neil said. "It's almost flu season."

"Of course _you_ would know that," Max said as they crossed the lawn. "But he was fine this morning. Wouldn't shut the fuck up about how it was 'Music Day' and he was going on and on about how excited he was to play his guitar for the kids."

They came to a stop before the front door and Max tested the doorknob. Unlocked. With a shrug, he pushed the door open and led Neil and Nikki inside. "Hey, David, you home?"

There was no response. 

"David?" Max said again, a little louder as he dropped his bag by the door. "Hello?"

"Maybe he's in the backyard?" Nikki suggested, as her and Neil followed suit with the backpack-dropping.

"Doubtful," Max said, as they headed towards the kitchen. "He did all the yard work a few days ago, and he only goes to stare wistfully at the woods behind the house on Mondays and Thursdays."

"...He only stares at them, and doesn't...like...go hiking through them or something?" Neil asked.

"I think it's some kind of comfort thing," Max said with a shrug. "You know, reminds him of the camp?"

"Again, he can't just go hiking?" Neil asked.

"Look, he—"

Max froze as they passed by the dining room. David was seated at the table, his back to the doorway and his head low. On the table before him, Max could see the familiar pages of the Camp Campbell scrapbook that David would normally display on the coffee table with pride.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Not the usual, David-sized levels of wrong, which were normally reserved for stupid things like 'birds picking at the flower bed in the backyard' or 'the store being out of his favorite brand of trail mix'.

No, something was 'day-at-the-bonfire' levels of wrong and a wave of fear rushed through Max as the possibilities of what might be wrong began to rise in his head.

One terrifying possibility bubbled to the front of his mind before he could push it back and pretend it never existed, and a strong, aching feeling in his chest followed. Had David, for some reason, lost the right to be his guardian? Had his social worker decided that David wasn't fit to parent him?

...Had David...grown sick of him?

Max made a face at his own stupid thoughts. David was obnoxious, peppy, and annoying beyond belief, but he cared about Max more than Max probably cared about himself.

Plus, even if David _had_ grown sick of him, it's not like it was anything he wasn't used to by now, right? ...No need to get all worked up over the same bullshit he had grown used to over the past year.

...Right?

"David?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual and uninterested. "Is...everything okay?"

David nearly jumped at the sound of Max's voice, and used one hand to slam the scrapbook closed. "Kids! I didn't realize you were home!"

"We said your name like...twice," Neil pointed out.

"Oh, right, of course." David rose from his chair, his back still to the kids as he began to head for the kitchen. "I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere. I haven't even started making dinner-"

"It's only four, David," Max said.

"We could order pizza!" Nikki said excitedly.

"Nikki, shut _up_ ," Max hissed, before looking back to David. "Something's wrong, David. Don't lie to us, what is it?"

David stopped in the kitchen doorway. "...Nothing's wrong, Max."

"Then look us in the eyes and tell us that."

David was silent for a moment, before his shoulders fell in defeat. "...Mr. Campbell...passed away this morning."

"...Oh."

Well...he hadn't expected _that_. And he definitely wasn't sad about Campbell in the slightest. The shifty old asshole could rot in Hell (or whatever waited for him in an afterlife that may or may not exist) for all he cared. And he was definitely relieved that David's mood hadn't been caused by something else (something he definitely wouldn't have been upset over at all and no one could prove he would have been).

But it felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of cold, icy water over him in the middle of winter. Numbness, shock, and a mess of other painful emotions had manifested in the pit of his stomach and Neil and Nikki tensing up beside him only made the feeling worse.

"'Heart attack,' they told me over the phone," David continued, clearly attempting (and failing) to hide the shaking in his voice. "I...He was always such a strong man, I...I didn't think...I thought he'd..."

He took a deep breath and finally turned to face the kids. It was more than obvious he'd been crying for a long while, and was smiling widely in an attempt to hide that fact. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter," he said in a falsely-cheerful voice. "No one can live forever, right? This day was bound to come eventually. It's not as if I secretly hoped that one day, he'd be released from prison and maybe things could just...pick up where they left off all those years ago—"

"David..."

The smile fell and David sank into the chair closest to the kitchen doorway, his head in his hands. "I haven't seen him in about three months," he said, no longer making an attempt to hold back his tears. "I could have made more time, maybe taken a week off and went upstate to visit him every day. There was so much more I could have done..."

He lifted his head and wiped the tears from his face. "I'm sorry, kids. I know this is probably worrying you—"

"What about the funeral?" The question escaped Max before he could process it, and he could practically feel Neil and Nikki's eyes on him. "Aren't you going to his funeral?"

David hung his head. "There...isn't going to be a funeral. Mr. Campbell left a lot of debt in his wake, and the prison didn't want to 'waste more money on him.'"

And now Max felt like someone had dumped another bucket of cold water over him in the middle of the Arctic, as his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he, Neil and Nikki had shared on the way home. About death, about his parents...about the night they died.

How they hadn't even been given a funeral due to their own lack of any family (outside of Max) to pay for it. How he'd only been given a short time to properly grieve before being shipped off to the first of many foster families, where he had been forced to either keep a lot of that grief to himself or unleash it in fits of anger or sadness. How said fits were was usually met with being kicked out and sent to another family.

Just a shitty cycle of attempting to mourn, only to be abandoned and alone.

And it had fucking sucked. It _still_ fucking sucked.

He looked towards Nikki, who had a hand over her mouth and the faintest hint of tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and then to Neil, who looked like he wasn't sure how he should be feeling at the moment. 

They had no idea, as far as Max was aware, what it was like to experience that kind of grief of losing someone you care about so strongly. To stay up late at night, as a million 'what could have been' scenarios played out in your head. What you could have done, if you could have done _anything_ at all. Regrets of not appreciating what you had when you had it. Moments where you wish that you could have been in their place instead of left alone to cry and grieve, and just... _hurt_.

Cry...grieve...

He could practically feel a light bulb go off in his mind. He hadn't gotten his chance to grieve, but...that didn't mean David couldn't get his chance. Max didn't care if it was about _Campbell_ of all people, and he didn't care if it resulted in him having to answer a number of questions that he was positive Neil, Nikki, and or David would ask at some point or another.

Like Hell he was going to let anyone, especially David, go through what he did. Not if he could help it.

"Hey, David?"

David looked up. "Yes, Max?"

Max shuffled his feet, and tried to keep his usual, uninterested tone as he spoke: "You're really gonna sit there and tell me that you haven't thought about planning _some_ kind of memorial service for the bastard? Come on, I thought I knew you better than that."

David's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"I mean, sure, Campbell was a real piece of shit and I'm not going to pretend he wasn't," Max continued. "But if you can't have a funeral for him, then why not do the next best thing and just...have a memorial service? I'm sure there's probably a ton of other camp-loving weirdos who would want to come mourn his death, too. I mean, just because our summer hated the place doesn't mean all of them did, right?"

"Hey, yeah, you're right," Neil said thoughtfully. "If that place was open since David was a kid, then statistically there had to have been summers where the campers actually enjoyed themselves and actually _wanted_ to be there."

"I wanted to be there," Nikki said.

"Yeah, but you're one of the only ones during our summer who did," Max pointed out. "I'm talking about entire groups of campers who actually had _fun_ during their stay at Camp Campbell. Groups of people who have actually-fond childhood memories of that place, as shocking as the idea sounds, and who'd be upset to hear that Campbell kicked the bucket. So why not throw a memorial service and let everyone grieve together. You know, 'misery loves company' or what-the-fuck-ever? I don't know, it sounded cooler in my head..."

David's expression had grown more brighter and hopeful with every word, and his wide, happy smile had returned by the time Max's sentence trailed off. "You know, I think that sounds like an amazing idea, Max! We wouldn't have to do anything too big or fancy—"

"Honestly, spending as little money as possible would be the best tribute to that asshole's memory," Max said, rolling his eyes.

"-but we could still do _something_ instead of just sitting here and crying over what could have been!" David continued cheerfully. "I could make some calls, get in touch with _my_ old counselors, maybe see if they might be able to help get invitations out to any other Camp Campbell alumni who'd want to attend!"

"I could probably convince Harrison to come," Neil said. "And he could probably convince Nerris. I know it's not much, but hey, at least you know you'll have two guarantees."

"There's a dollar store near my school," Nikki added. "My team always gets decorations there for our after-game parties. Though they might still be out of all the black and blue ones after our last shindig... Maybe we can just get white tablecloths and spray paint them black? I know a guy with spray paint, I can call around."

"And there's plenty of room in the backyard to hold the service," Max pointed out. "I'm sure those other camp-loving assholes will love having the forest as the event backdrop."

David stared at him with a fond expression, as tears of joy replaced the ones of sorrow in his eyes. "You know what, I think hosting a memorial service is the perfect way to honor Mr. Campbell's passing. Max, how did you come up with something so clever? I mean, not that I'm surprised in the slightest, you're a very smart child—"

"Yeah, yeah, enough of the compliments," Max said, ignoring the looks that he was positive Neil and Nikki were giving him. "Just go start making plans before I regret giving you the idea in the first place."

\------------------------

"Yes, thank you, Darla!" David said happily into his phone. "I can't wait to see you and Gregg there!"

Max looked up from his notebook. "Is she coming?"

David nodded as he ended the call. "She says that throwing a memorial service for Mr. Campbell is a fantastic idea, and that she cannot wait until next Saturday. And she's more than happy to get the word out to any of the other campers she might have counselor-ed during her time at the camp." He sniffled softly and reached up to wipe his eyes. "Gosh, she's just as sweet as she was back when I was a kid..."

"Don't start crying again," Max said, as he scribbled a 'yes' next to the name on the page. "Just call the next person."

"So, I've got some good news," Nikki said through a mouthful of pizza. "I texted Cookie, and he's still got the black tablecloths from our last party, with only a few tears from when one of the guys was dared to do a handstand on the table. And then fell off the table. It was awesome!"

"I think we should just go ahead and buy new ones," Max said, reaching for his own slice from the box. "Also...there's a guy on your team named Cookie?"

"Uh, yeah!" Nikki said. "We call him that because he's the best baker on the team. He makes these caramel cookies that taste like..." She made a motion of approval with her hands.

"Sea-salt?" Max asked.

"Of course, he's not an animal."

Max snorted as he looked around. "Where the Hell'd Neil go?"

"I think he stepped outside to call Harrison and Nerris," David said with a smile. "I definitely can't wait to see them again! They were such good kids."

"You've said that about all of us, and you're been wrong every time," Max pointed out, as he stood up and headed for the back door. "I'm gonna go tell him to get his ass back in here before Nikki eats all the pizza."

"Hey, he snoozes, he loses," Nikki said, as she reached for another slice.

Max rolled his eyes as he pulled the back door open and stepped out into the warm evening. Sure enough, Neil was seated on the bench at the edge of the deck, his phone against his ear and a smile on his face.

"Yeah, of course we can," he was saying softly. "It sounds great, babe."

 _Babe?_ Max found himself smiling at that. "Hey, lovebird. You wrapping it up anytime soon?" he asked quietly as he approached the bench.

Neil looked at him and nodded, before turning his attention back to the phone. "I gotta go, but I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? ...I love you, too. Goodnight."

His cheeks flushed, he hung up the phone and looked at Max. "Harrison says he and Nerris can make it to the service, and they'll even help us with setting up. They've been working on some levitation spells that they'd like to put into practice."

"Yeah, and the whole 'babe' thing?" Max asked, sitting down next to him.

Neil's face grew redder. "We're getting lunch tomorrow. Can you and David cover for us if my mom calls here?"

"Yeah, you know I will," Max said.

"You're the best," Neil said, giving him a playful nudge.

Max smiled and nudged him back. "You really like him, don't you?"

Neil's expression softened. "Yeah, I really do. Max, he's...God, he's really great."

"You big sap," Max said, crossing his arms. "So, can I be best man at your wedding?"

"Come on, we're not _that_ serious."

Max raised an eyebrow. "You're only saying that because you've already promised the role to someone else, haven't you?"

"Oh, absolutely," Neil said. "Sorry, pal. First come, first serve."

Max let out a laugh. "Oh, speaking of serve, I came out here to warn you that Nikki's going to eat all the pizza if you don't come back inside. Plus we could use another phone to call up potential service guests."

"Right, right," Neil said. "Can I ask you something, though?"

Oh, God, there it was. The inevitable questioning. "I know what you're going to ask, Neil. And no, I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Neil gave him a look. "Max, as soon as David said that Campbell wasn't getting a funeral, your face was as pale as a sheet."

" _Your_ face is as pale as a sheet," Max said defensively.

"Max..."

Max looked out at the forest that lay past the backyard, darkened by the evening with only a few slivers of moonlight between the trees. "Look, losing someone you care about sucks, and not being able to get closure sucks harder. I just...didn't want David to go through what I did, okay? That's it."

"Is it really all it is?"

"It's all I feel like talking about," Max said. "I've unloaded enough of my problems on you."

"You know I don't mind listening," Neil pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be _that_ friend," Max said. "The one who's constantly depressed and needs to always talk about his issues, to the point where everyone gets sicks of hearing about them. I've see it happen before, and I don't want it to happen with you or Nikki or David, because I actually _like_ all of you."

Neil let out a laugh. "Max, come on. If we aren't sick of you by now, then we'll never be sick of you."

Max let his gaze drop to his hands sadly, a motion that Neil didn't miss. "...Oh. Oh, _shit_ , you're not just making jokes as a way to cope with your issues this time, are you? You're really serious."

"Of course I'm serious," Max said. "You guys are the best thing to happen to me all year. But seeing David that broken up over Campbell, it just made me think of everything that happened to me before I moved here and I mean...you know how my year's been so far."

He pulled his legs up onto the bench and hugged them close. "You and Nikki are my best friends. I trust you two with a lot of things. But...a lot of bad shit's happened to me. And I know you say that you won't get tired of me even if I vent to you, but it's happened before and I just...can't help but be worried that it'll happen again. I don't...think I could handle that. No, fuck that, I _know_ I couldn't handle it."

"Max, you're a strong kid," Neil said. "I'm sure—"

"Neil, you don't understand," Max said, hesitating for a moment before he continued: "...Before I moved in with David, I was in the worst place I've been in all year. It was around the anniversary of my folks' death, and I had...okay, a bad day's an understatement, but that's what it was. I just...really missed my folks. I was having a hard time, a _really_ hard time. You know what my foster parents at the time did when I tried to go to them for help?"

"What?"

"They told me they were too busy to deal with my problems right now," Max said grimly. "And that we could discuss it later. That's what a lot of them would say if I was having a bad day. 'Let's talk later' or 'suck it up' or they'd just straight up yell at me for being too emotional. They'd get angry with me or just ditch me altogether for being unable to cope with my feelings properly."

"Why the hell would all these people dedicate their time to being parents if they were just going to ditch their kid when things got rough?" Neil asked.

"Why would people dedicate their time to having a kid if they're going to abuse them, neglect them, or kick them out of the house for being gay?" Max countered.

"...Touche."

"There's a lot of people out there who only like the _concept_ of having a kid," Max said, "but don't want to put the actual effort into caring for a real kid. One with their own thoughts and emotions and issues and all that parenting shit that isn't romanticized to Hell and back. And going through family after family like that makes you less and less willing to talk about your issues, to the point where you either repress everything or..." he touched his left arm. "...do something unhealthy."

He didn't dare look at Neil's reaction. "Max..."

"Like I said, I was at my lowest point with my last family," Max admitted. "Probably the lowest point of my life. I'm past it now, so don't start worrying that I'm going to do something drastic, because I'm not. But it did happen. I was just... so tired of everything. And when I couldn't turn to anyone that day, I...I couldn't do it anymore, Neil. I just wanted all of it to end."

He felt tears welling up in the corner of his eyes, which he brushed away quickly in the hopes Neil wouldn't notice. "I'm scared, Neil. I don't want to lose everything I've got here. Yeah, I talk a lot of shit, but I am not strong enough to go through all that again. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and I actually go downstairs to the living room or to David's bedroom to make sure he's still there, just so I know that all of this isn't a dream and I'm not going to wake up with another family who doesn't give two shits about whether I live or die."

He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "It's just...really hard to process that things might finally be okay for me again, like _really_ okay. And yeah, I _know_ David's great and I _know_ I could talk to him about all my stupid problems. Hell, I talked to him the day I moved in, and it was like he hadn't changed at all since camp. He was so nice, so willing to listen..." He hugged his legs closer. "But, like...that doesn't just stop me from _thinking_ that he'll get sick of me if I keep going to him with my stupid problems. Again, I know it's a stupid, stupid thought, because it's David, and he'd never get sick of me. But it doesn't stop me from _thinking_ about it, you know?"

He fell silent, as he waited for Neil to respond. However, a sharp pinching sensation to the side of his face caused him to yelp in pain and instinctively slap a hand to the spot. He looked at Neil, his fingers in the universal pose for pinching. "Dude, what the Hell?!"

"That was so you could be sure that this isn't a dream," Neil said. "Believe it or not, the pinching thing actually works."

Max's look of confusion melted into one of slight amusement. "You could have warned me, asshole."

"The shock factor would have increased the odds of you waking up, if this _had_ been a dream," Neil pointed out. "But hey, you're still here, so it has to be real, right?"

"Not sure if that's _exactly_ how that works, but I...do appreciate the sentiment," Max said. "As weird and nerdy as it was."

"And as for everything else," Neil said, his expression softening. "I know this is probably obvious advice, but I do think you _should_ talk to David. Even if everything in your head's telling you not to, you should do it anyway. I mean, you said it yourself that you were happy here with David, right? Happier than you've been all year."

Max shrugged. "I mean, yeah."

"So clearly David's a much better guardian than any of the other ones you've had," Neil pointed out. "Which means he'd be more willing to help you than any of the others."

Max looked down again. "Look, I know you're right. But if I talk to him about it now, he'll just spend the next week worrying about me instead of focusing on the service. I don't want to take that away from him."

"Max..."

"I'll _think_ about it," Max said. "But for now...I just can't. I'm just going to pretend everything's fine for a week, and let David mourn Campbell in peace without having to worry about me and my issues. He deserves that, at least."

"...Alright, man," Neil said, rising to his feet. "But if you...get to that low point again—"

"I'm not going to, Neil," Max said, following suit. "I can promise you that I won't."

"But if you _do_ —"

"I won't, okay?" Max said, and touched his arm again. "I was in a bad place, and it only made things worse. I promised myself I'd never do it again and I'm not going back on that."

Neil gave him a nod. "Okay. And, you know, if it helps, you told me all that and I'm not sick of you. Wait, shit, that came out wrong—"

"No, I get it," Max said, a small smile on his face. "Thanks, Neil."

"Hey, heteros!" Nikki called from the back door. "Pizza's almost gone. Get in here, or I'm calling dibs on all of it."

"Nikki, come on!" Neil said. "I was in the middle of a phone call! With my _boyfriend!_ That hetero comment shouldn't have an S!"

"Don't care, I'm gonna eat your slices if you aren't inside in negative five seconds!"

" _Nikki!_ "

Nikki laughed as she ducked back into the house. Neil started to hurry after her, but Max grabbed his arm before he could head inside. "Hey, one last thing."

"Yeah?"

"Don't...tell David about what I said, okay?" Max said. "Nikki, sure, she can know, but...not David."

Neil was silent for a moment before he nodded. "I won't tell him. You should, but I won't."

"I know..."

With a sigh, Max let go of his arm and followed him back into the house, the sound of David's voice as he chatted with another potential service-attender over the phone greeting them as they stepped inside.


	5. The Long Road Home Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Campbell's memorial service arrives, and it does nothing to ease the ever-growing worries in Max's mind. And letting those kinds of thoughts bubble and build will only end in disaster.

"I cannot believe how many people said they'd be attending today."

"It's like you said," Neil said from one of the other tables. "David couldn't be the only kid who actually liked the camp."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect our group to actually be the odd ones out of the batch, and for nearly every other person that went to the camp to absolutely love it as much as David," Max pointed out, as he smoothed the tablecloth into place. "Did any of them have anything better to do over the summer than attend some run-down camp in the middle of nowhere?"

"Most of them were born in the nineties," Neil said. "They were all about that 'playing outside' bullshit because they didn't have Internet yet."

"Good point. Fucking weirdos."

"Think anyone from our year will show up, aside from those of us already here?" Neil asked, flicking his thumb towards the part of the yard where Harrison, Nikki and Nerris were busy with their own tasks.

"Let's take bets on who we think _will_ show up," Max said. "Dibs on Space Kid."

"That's cheating, you know he's the most likely out of anyone that isn't here already," Neil said. "Actually, he's probably _more_ likely to come to this than anyone already here."

"Hey, I called dibs," Max said. "So you gotta pick someone else."

"What are we even betting?" Neil asked. "Out of the two of us, I'm the only one with a job and money."

"If I win, you let me use your employee discount at that nerd store you work at," Max said. "If you win, I owe you a favor or something, I don't know."

"Is there even anything there you'd like?" Neil asked.

Max shrugged. "I think I saw a dragon statue that looked kind of cool once."

"Aww, the one with the red eyes?" Neil asked. "But I was thinking about buying that for Harrison..."

"Then I'll get the one with green eyes, I don't fucking care," Max said. "I just want a dragon statue for my room."

"Fine," Neil said. "Employee discount, but only once. My boss will ride my ass if I let others use it too often."

"Pick your poison, then," Max said.

Neil thought hard for a moment. "I'd go with Preston, but only with the addition that if he _does_ come, he'll have at least one article of clothing covered in glitter."

Max snorted. "He's probably got one of those stupid theater kid hats, too. You know, like the ones the guy in High School Musical wore?"

"You watched High School Musical?" Neil asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who _didn't?_ " Max said. "We all had our phases."

"Fair enough."

"Fine. You choose High School Musical and I choose Space Case," Max said. "What should we do if they both show up?"

Neil tapped his chin. "Then you owe me a favor and I'll buy you that dragon statue?"

"...Yeah, alright. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Hello, boys!"

Max jumped at the sudden burst of magical energy behind them and spun around to see Harrison standing there. "Can't you just walk across the yard like a normal fucking person if you need something?!"

"Hey, I _just_ perfected this spell and I intend to use it as often as possible," Harrison said proudly.

Neil let out a chuckle and crossed his arms. "And I suppose asking you how you did it is out of the question, huh?"

"You know what my answer's going to be," Harrison said with a smirk.

"'It's magic' isn't an answer and you know it, babe."

"Well, it's all you're going to get," Harrison said, as he gently booped Neil's nose.

"For now," Neil said, his smile widening. "But we'll see later."

"Ugh, can you two put a pause on your flirting and help me finish setting up?" Max asked, making a face. "People are going to be here soon."

Not taking his eyes off Neil, Harrison pulled his wand from his sleeve and, after a quick flick of his wrist, the remaining tablecloths slid into place. "There, done."

Max cast him a glare. "You couldn't have done that sooner and saved us the time?"

"Oh, Max, you can't just use magic to solve _all_ your problems," Harrison said. "Plus, there was a fifty-fifty chance that it _wouldn't_ work and the remaining tablecloths would've simply caught on fire. I just got lucky."

"Yeah, of course you did," Max said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, was there a _reason_ you came over here, other than to flirt?"

"Well, yes and no," Harrison said. "You see, I need help with unfolding chairs, and Nikki and Nerris are busy with the food area—"

"-and you want Neil to be the one to help you, right?" Max finished for him.

"If he's no longer needed over here, that is," Harrison said.

Max looked towards Neil, who gave a pleading look in return. "Yeah, yeah, go be romantic before people start showing up. I owe you for finishing up my part of the decorating, anyway."

Neil smiled and took Harrison's hand, before the two of them hurried off towards the other end of the yard. Max shook his head as he watched them go. He hadn't quite wrapped his mind around the idea of the two of them yet; it felt like only yesterday they were at each other's throats while he was busy throwing up half the items in Harrison's magic kit.

But he couldn't help but smile at the tender look on his best friend's face as the two of them shared a hushed conversation.

"Finished setting up over here?"

His smile disappeared as he turned to see David approaching him. "Tables are done, the girls have the food covered, and Neil and Harrison are finishing up the chairs. All that's left to do is wait for the criers."

"Good to hear it." David smiled fondly. "By the way, Max, I know I've said this before, but this was a wonderful idea."

Max looked towards the ground. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a damn saint. Don't tell anyone though, I got a reputation to uphold."

"I mean it, Max," David said, as he reached over to ruffle Max's hair with a fond expression. "I mean, a memorial service where we invite all the old campers and counselors? That's such a nice way to help everyone mourn. How on earth did you come up with such a clever idea so quickly?"

Max grew tense. And there were the questions from David. "I just...did, alright?" he said in the most casual voice he could muster. "It's not my fault I better at coming up with ideas on the spot than a thirty-year-old man."

David chuckled. "Max, I'm twenty-nine."

"Close enough," Max said, pushing his hand away. "And stop touching my hair, I want to look nice for this fucking thing!"

"Oh my God, it's like I went back in time."

Both Max and David turned to see a woman standing behind them, her red hair tied back in a pigtail and a tired smile on her face. David's eyes lit up and he stepped closer to her, his arms open as if he wanted to give her a hug. "Gwen! You made it!"

"Holy shit, it _is_ Gwen," Max said in disbelief. "The Hell's she doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, kid," she said, as she accepted David's request for a hug. "And it's _especially_ nice to see you again, David. How long's it been?"

"About five months," David said. "And two weeks. But who's counting?"

Gwen let out a laugh. "Clearly not you. Whatcha been up to in five months?"

"I finally became an official foster parent," he said proudly.

"Yeah, I heard about that!" Gwen's smile widened as her gaze dropped to Max. "And I see you weren't kidding about fostering the little terror of Camp Campbell himself."

"Haha, why don't you talk about something actually funny," Max said, grateful to switch the subject before David could question him further. "Like what I assume you've been doing since camp, which is to say, nothing of significance."

" _Max_ ," David said sternly. "Don't be rude."

"...Sorry. Old habit."

Gwen chuckled as she let go of David. "You still making David's life miserable, kiddo?"

"As far as you know," Max said.

"Come on, Gwen, he's a good kid," David said with a fond smile. "In fact, this entire thing was his idea!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Max crossed his arms. "I told you not to go bragging about it, David."

"But how could I not?" David said cheerfully. "It's a wonderful idea!"

"So you've said..."

Gwen's smile widened and she pressed a hand to her cheek as she stared at the two of them. "God, looking at you two interact really is a blast from the past. It's like I'm back at camp."

"Yeah, yeah, maybe your dreams of a time-travelling doctor finally came true," Max said sarcastically.

Gwen chuckled. "Aww, you remembered. You _do_ care."

"So what the hell are you doing here anyway?" Max asked. "Didn't you hate the camp?"

"Didn't _you_?" Gwen said.

"I live here," Max pointed out. "That's my excuse. What's yours?"

Gwen shrugged. "Look, it's been over five years. That's more than enough time to make me less angry about wasting my summer there, and more willing to laugh about it at parties." She nudged David playfully. "Plus, I wasn't about to pass up the chance to see my old co-counselor pal again, even if it was at a damn funeral of all places."

David's smile softened. "Well, I'm glad you could make it. And I'm sure Mr. Campbell would have appreciated it, too."

Gwen gave him a look. "David, the man barely knew my name."

"...Well, _I_ appreciate it."

Gwen smiled again. "Yeah, well, you're just lucky I care so much about you, you big goof."

The two of them fell silent for a moment, not taking their eyes off each other as the other kids approached the group. "David, we finished setting everything up!" Nerris said.

"Hey, is that Gwen?!" Nikki asked excitedly. "Hi, Gwen! Nice to see you still kicking!"

"What, did you think she'd be dead, too?" Max asked.

"Yeah, but for a _completely_ different reason than David," Nikki said. "With David, I just figured he'd get hit by a truck or something. But I always thought Gwen would get an unwinnable fight with another person who loves those trashy novels."

"'Fight to the death', not 'an unwinnable fight', Nikki," Neil corrected her.

"Unwinnable fight!" Nikki said stubbornly.

"Yeah, unwinnable fight!" Nerris added. "Like when you try to use physical attacks against a being that can only be defeated by magical attacks. Nothing good's going to come out of that!"

"You could always just run away from the being and save your spell slots," Harrison pointed out.

"Uh, but what if you're trying to level up, smart-ass?" Nerris asked. "What then?"

Gwen couldn't hold back a laugh. "Oh, my God, _none_ of them have changed a bit. We really are back at camp!"

"Isn't it great?" David said with a laugh of his own.

Gwen's smile widened. "You know what? It _is_ kind of nice seeing everyone again, honestly."

"So you _do_ have a soft spot for the camp!" David said, with a playful nudge to her arm. "Is it enough to make you consider being a counselor again?"

"Haha, you wish," she said. "Never again, pal. But...there's definitely something there."

David continued to smile for a moment, before the corners of his mouth slowly fell into a sad frown and he reached up to wipe away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Her own eyes now wide, Gwen stepped closer to comfort him as the tears finally began to roll down his face. "Hey, come on, it's alright."

"I'm sorry," David said, sniffling. "I was trying to wait until everyone else got here to cry. But I just...I'm sad but I'm so _happy_. You're here, and the kids have just...been so helpful today..."

"Let it all out, pal," Gwen said, pulling him into another hug. "You cry as much as you need to today."

_You cry as much as you need to..._

Max bit his lip as he noticed Neil giving him a look from his spot beside Harrison. He turned back to the nearest table and attempted to distract himself with the already-smooth tablecloth, while he heard David cry behind him.

_You cry as much as you need to..._

Max thought back to the last time he had cried over his parents. The anniversary of their death. The worst day of his life for a number of reasons.

_You cry as much as you need to..._

Once again, he found himself instinctively touching his left arm. The last time he had cried, _really_ cried, had been during his time in the hospital. No family or parents to comfort him, no idea what would happen to him next. Just him in a lonely hospital room while the doctors were gone and his social worker was busy finding him a new family.

_You cry as much as you need to..._

David would get the opportunity to cry today. He'd be able to mourn in peace without worrying about anything or anyone else, surrounded by people who could cry with him.

And no matter what shitty, intrusive thoughts plagued his mind today, Max wasn't about to take that away from him.

\--------------------

It was not long before others started pouring into the backyard after Gwen, and the somber atmosphere that accompanied them did nothing to help Max's already-low mood.

Most of them were adults, some a little older than David while others looked to be around their late teens or early twenties. A lot of them were hugging, crying, supporting each other as they gathered around the memorial shrine for Campbell, which David had set up with great care. Some were actually laughing as they reconnected with old friends from summers ago. All of them were dressed in black, which was one thing Max could appreciate about such an occasion. Ninety percent of his wardrobe would be appropriate to wear today.

He hadn't seen any of the kids from his summer, outside of the ones who were already there. But they had disappeared among the crowd to do God-knows-what, which unfortunately left Max alone with his thoughts.

There were so many people here to mourn Campbell. Max couldn't help but wonder if, had his own parents been given a funeral or service, this many people would have shown up to theirs. Sure, they had had friends and coworkers, but how many of them would have been torn up over their deaths. How many _had_ actually been torn up and Max never got a chance to know?

He shook his head and tried desperately to force those thoughts right back to the farthest corner of his mind where they belonged as he looked around for David. He spotted him among a group of people who had gathered in the far corner of the yard, away from the rest of the crowd.

It was a decent-sized group, about ten people. All of them were crying and hugging one another though conversations that Max could not hear. And while most of them appeared to be more or less the same age as David, there was a man and a woman who were clearly much older then any of them, a soft, almost comforting look on their faces as they stared at the younger adults.

A look so similar to the one David had often given to the kids back when he was a counselor.

...His counselors.

They were his counselors.

More than just his counselors, that was David's entire group from his time as a camper. Or...at least one of them. There was no way David had only attended camp for a single summer.

The older woman had such a wide, bubbly smile on her face despite the tears in her eyes and she was waving her hands wildly and passionately as if she was telling an incredibly story. The man was also smiling with tear-filled eyes, and would occasionally reach over to ruffle David's hair (Max scowled as his hand instinctively traveled up to his own hair) as if he was ten years old again, a motion that would make David both laugh and cry.

David was so happy today. Well, not _happy_. Obviously he was sad, but he was allowed to be sad with other people around him to help ease the pain. He was allowed to cry, he was allowed to mourn...

Max crossed his arms and let them rest on the table before him. He wanted that chance. He wanted to cry so badly. He wanted to be able to mourn his parents properly. It was a memorial service; he could just cry and no one would know that his tears weren't reserved for Campbell.

But David would see him crying, and would want to comfort him. And with comfort would come questions, and Max didn't trust himself to keep the real reasons behind his tears to himself if David decided to pry. And there would go David's chance to spend the day focusing on Campbell. His chance to grieve. His chance to get everything Max hadn't gotten.

Max had to keep his feelings to himself, at least until the service was over. He was a master at repressing his stupid, annoying feelings when necessary. Okay, maybe not a _master_ , but he had definitely gotten better at it after his year of hell.

...Okay, so that wasn't necessarily true, either.

Well, regardless, he would have to at least _try_ for David's sake.

"Mwack."

He felt something nudge his leg beneath the table, and he lifted the tablecloth to investigate. A familiar brown lump of fur with an even-more-familiar orange bill was staring up at him from the grass.

Max felt his troubling thoughts melt away for a moment as he reached down to scratch the platypus's head. " _Hey_ , I remember you," he said fondly. "The hell are you doing here, you little abomination-of-nature?"

The platypus nudged his hand sweetly. "Mwack."

Max couldn't help but smile at this motion. "Well, you got affectionate with age, didn't you? No more biting or small-animal-eating?"

Another nuzzle. "Mwack."

"Dee? Did you check under that table?"

"No luck."

"Aww, well, we'll keep looking! She couldn't have gotten far."

Max looked up to see two other kids looking beneath nearby tables, as if they were searching for something. "Hey, you two looking for a platypus?" he asked, rising up from his chair. "He's under this one."

Both looked up from their search and the taller child's eyes widened excitedly. "Max! You're here, too?!"

"...Wait, Space Kid?"

"Oh, right, you guys never did get my name right, huh?" The child asked with a laugh as he and the other approached the table. "That's okay. I've been trying to think of a better name to go by, anyway. Like Alioth. Or...Vega! Oooh, or Nix! That's a satellite of Pluto. By the way, Pluto should totally still be a planet and we as a species was wrong to take its planetary status away!" He let out another laugh. "But hey, you can just keep calling me Space Kid if you want to! I mean, if the space boot fits..."

Well, Max called that one. And now that he got a good look at Space Kid, it was more than obvious that he was the little space-loving weirdo from camp. He had grown a bit both in height and weight, and his shaggy brown hair now hung down over his eyes, but it was definitely him. And Max had a feeling that, had this not been a memorial service, he probably would have worn an outfit completely dedicated to space. Hell, Max would have felt safe in betting on the idea of him showing up in a full-on astronaut suit if he had been given a choice in the matter.

The other kid seemed to linger closer to Space Kid, his eyes cast down at the grass below and a yellow beanie with a star on the front atop his head. He pointed towards the bottom of the tablecloth, where the platypus had stuck out her bill. "Found her."

"Hey, there you are!" Space Kid said cheerfully as he bent down to pick her up. "Silly Mwack, always wandering off by yourself! That's how we almost lost you at the observatory!"

"I can't believe the little fucker's still alive," Max said. "How'd she end up with you, anyway?"

"Oh, she snuck into my backpack before we left camp," Space Kid explained. "So I decided to keep her! Mom made me take her to the vet and get her de-poisoned, just to be safe, and we did a ton of research on platypi just so we knew how to take care of her! Did you know platypi can actually live to be about seventeen in captivity? I didn't, but I do now! Or that female platypi sweat milk! Well, not _sweat_ , but-"

Max wasn't paying much attention to Space Kid's overenthusiastic platypus facts. He eyes were still on the kid at his left, who was was keeping his gaze down and rubbing his hands together nervously. His posture seemed reserved and scared, like he really didn't want to be there. Something about him seemed so familiar to Max, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"-and that's why Dee and I want to see if we convince NASA to let Mwack be the first platypus in space," Space Kid finished.

Dee? Wait a minute...

"...Dolph?" Max asked aloud.

The boy seemed to flinch at this name and Space Kid wrapped his platypus-free arm around him in a comforting fashion. "His name is Dee," he said defensively.

"Oh, uh, sorry..." Max said. "But... it _is_ him, right?"

Dee nodded. "It's me..."

Max eyed him again. "I'm surprised to see you, you know, not dressed completely like-"

"Hitler?" Dee finished in a guilty voice.

"...So you _did_ know?"

"No, I didn't!" Dee said, finally looking up. "I mean...I did, but I didn't...I-I shouldn't have..." He hung his head again. "Do you ever look back on...how you used to act? Or how your parents raised you? And just kind of...realize it wasn't...great?"

"... _Oh._ "

"Yeah..." Dee said sadly. "I was...awful. I did lots of things that made people uncomfortable. It wasn't right. I know that now."

"So, when'd you catch on?" Max asked.

"It's been happening for a while..." Dee said. "But I... I don't want to be like my parents. They're...they're bad people, and I don't want to be bad, too."

"And I'm helping him not be bad!" Space Kid said cheerfully, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "So... be good!"

Dee looked up at him fondly. "He's helping."

"Well, damn, good for you, dude," Max said. "Because no offense, but you really were kind of horrible. And by kind of, I mean... You were really horrible. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, dude, it wasn't cool."

"I know..." Dee said. "I was kind of scared to come today. But I...wanted to say I was sorry to everyone I could. I already talked to David—"

"-and he forgave you almost instantly, right?" Max asked.

"I...Well, he said he did," Dee said. "I just hope that was how he really felt. I...I want people to be honest if they can't forgive me."

"Well, knowing David, I'm sure he not only forgave you, but he probably also promised you a bed in the guest room if you ever needed to get away from your shitty parents, right?" Max asked.

Dee nodded. "He did say that, only without the swearing."

"Yeah, of course he did," Max said. "Well, hey, if worst comes to worst, at least you won't be the only kid in the house."

"What do you mean?" Dee asked.

"I mean, I live here, too," Max pointed out. "David's fostering me."

"David's your dad?!" Space Kid asked excitedly.

Max scowled. " _Foster_ dad."

"That's so neat!" Space Kid said, while Dee's eyes widened excitedly. "I wish I could have David for a dad! My real dad left a while ago, and Mom says he's probably not coming back."

"Oh..." Max said, raising his eyebrows. "I'm...sorry, Space Kid."

"No need to be sorry!" Space Kid said, hugging Dee closer. "I got my mom, and Dee, and Mwack! It'd be nice to have my Dad, too, but I'm still happy!"

And Space Kid was still so optimistic and nice. Between that and Dee's determination to be a better person, Max could feel those annoying intrusive thoughts returning. Despite life's hardships, these two were happy. They were bettering themselves, finding the bright side of a terrible situation, not letting life constantly kick their ass despite its numerous attempts.

Why...why couldn't it be that easy for him?

...Okay, the answer was obvious, but the fact that he _knew_ that the answer was obvious only made him feel worse. He _knew_ what he needed to do to stop feeling bad. He knew it was easy. There was literally nothing stopping him from just crossing the yard and telling David that he was having a shitty day.

He looked back at where David was located. Still smiling through his tears, still having a good time despite the heartbreak.

Still grieving.

And it was enough to keep Max frozen where he stood, as he once again tried to push his stupid thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Max, you gotta come see Nikki and Nurf!"

A wave of relief washed over Max as the sound of Nerris's voice shattered his train-of-thought and he saw Dee move closer to Space Kid as she approached the table in an excited panic. "They've been arm-wrestling for about five minutes and there hasn't been a winner yet! It's more exciting then when I rolled a Crit-20 and actually _scared_ a dragon away in my last DnD game!"

"Nurf's here, too?" Max asked. "Oh, God, I'd better go with you just so I can make sure he doesn't try to stab Nikki." A pause. "Then again, she'd probably stab him back...Yeah, I _really_ should go with you. Lead the way, Critical Role."

"Very funny, Max," Nerris said. "But you know I'm more of an Adventure Zone fan."

"Of course, how could I forget your crush on Magnus Sideburns?"

" _Burnsides_ , Max! And can you blame me?!" She crossed her arms. "I'm just saying, Julia was a _lucky_ lady!"

"Whatever, just lead the way."

Nerris laughed and gestured for him to follow, and Space Kid and Dee trailed behind him as they pushed through the crowd and headed for another table.

"YES! EAT IT, BITCH!"

Max heard Nikki's cry of victory before the table where she, a probably-seventeen-by-now Nurf, and the other kids came into view. And it wasn't just Neil and Harrison; Max could see Ered and Preston had joined the group as well.

Ered was taller than she had been at camp, and her hairstyle was almost identical to Nikki's, though still blonde with her trademark purple stripes. She had traded her old jacket for a black, leather one and was still rocking a pair of torn jeans and boots (Max couldn't deny that she definitely had style). Preston, on the other hand, looked pretty much how both Neil and Max had expected him to look (Max could see Neil giving him a knowing smirk and a subtle gesture towards the glittery, black hat atop Preston's head) and it was not a surprise that he seemed to be furious for an unknown reason.

Nerris let out a noise of unhappiness. "Aww, did I miss it?"

"Yeah, and I _rocked!_ " Nikki said proudly.

"Gotta admit, shrimp, you've bulked up since camp," Nurf said, flexing his hand. "Though that's not a surprise, you were always one of the more athletic kids of the group."

"And you put up a good fight, my man," Nikki said with a wide smile. "What was it you said you started doing, kick-boxing?"

"It was my therapist's idea," Nurf explained. "Said it would help me unleash a lot of my violent tendencies in a safe-and-controlled environment. I haven't been arrested in three months, so I'd say it's successful so far, but every case is different and results tend to be varied so we'll see what happens."

"Well, clearly you're not unleashing ENOUGH of those tendencies!" Preston said angrily. "Now I've lost five bucks!"

"Heh, pay up, theater kid," Ered said, her hand out.

Grumbling, Preston fished the bill out of his pocket and slapped it down on her palm. "Well, I've learned my lesson. Save the gambling for fights between Hamilton fans and Heathers fans. It's a safe bet; Heathers fans usually go for biting and hair-pulling while Hamilton fans are total pussies."

" _You_ would know that," Max spoke up.

Preston narrowed his eyes at Max. "What are _you_ doing here? Never expected to see you at a funeral for Campbell."

"One, it's a memorial service, not a funeral," Max said. "Two, the same could be said for you, Nurf, and maybe Ered."

Ered shrugged. "I heard there was free food and I had nothing better to do. Plus, it's one of the few places I can wear this outfit and old people won't look at me like I'm the devil or something."

"I feel that," Max said with a nod.

"I originally had a kickboxing match today, but it got postponed so I figured it'd be better than going home," Nurf explained. "Actually, I was telling Nikki about it and that's why she wanted to arm wrestle."

"And like _hell_ I'm missing out on an opportunity to grace people with my presence!" Preston said dramatically. "Even if it's the likes of you heathens and your inability to recognize fine writing."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, you couldn't recognize it either. I mean, we all saw that play of yours back in the day."

Preston let out an offended scoff. "I see you haven't changed a bit since camp. Still the same, rude kid after all this time."

For some bizarre reason, Max felt a twinge of anger at this comment. It was one thing when Neil or Nikki playfully insulted him. But he hadn't seen Preston in years and the two of them hadn't exactly been friends. "Whatever, Preston, like you're any better."

"Well, _someone's_ in a bad mood," Preston said defensively. "Again, a surprise to no one."

It was just a stupid comment. Max knew it was a stupid comment, and it shouldn't have bothered him. If he got mad every time some idiot insulted him, he would just be miserable all the fucking time.

...Well, moreso than usual.

It was fine. _He_ was fine. Or at the very least, he could _pretend_ he was fine and not get annoyed at something he would normally either shrug off or respond to with a much better comment.

"So, why are you here anyway?" Preston asked. "I couldn't help but notice you avoided answering that question."

Of course he'd caught that. Why the fuck wouldn't he? "I'm...here to pay my respects for Campbell," he said calmly. "Is that a fucking crime, _Preston_?"

Preston scoffed. "Oh, really? You, the kid who hated the camp more than any of us, is here to pay respects for the bastard? Why don't I believe that?"

"You don't have to," Max said. "It doesn't affect me either way."

"You know what _I_ think?" Preston said. "I think you're here to pull some kind of prank on David. Come on, fess up, we all know you wouldn't come to this thing willingly."

That was a...fair assumption for someone who hadn't seen Max since camp to make. There was no need to feel offended by that assumption at all, despite the fact that he had spent most of the past week thinking about nothing but trying to make today special for David because of what had happened with his own folks. How the fuck was Preston supposed to know that? He wasn't, so there was no need to be mad.

And yet Max was clenching his fists so tightly, his palms were started to hurt from how hard his fingernails were digging into them. "I told you, Preston. I just...wanted to pay my respects."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see Neil and Nikki beside him. "Hey, Max, can Nikki and I talk to you for a moment alone?"

Max nodded quickly and followed them towards the shed that lay on the edge of the yard. "God, thanks, guys. He was starting to piss me off."

"I know," Neil said, as he lead the two of them inside and shut the door behind them. "It's why we wanted to talk to you."

"Plan M! Plan M!" Nikki said excitedly.

Max gave her a confused look. "Plan M?"

"That's not what it's called, Nikki," Neil said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, yeah?" Nikki asked. "Then what would you call a plan that involves Max?"

"It doesn't need a _name!_ "

"Guys!" Max said. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Neil sighed. "Okay, so Nikki and I had a plan, a _nameless_ plan, ready in case either of us saw that you were having a hard time today."

"Neil told me about what you two talked about last week," Nikki said, and gave Max a look of sympathy. "And we saw how you tensed up earlier when Gwen got here."

Max sighed. "Oh, great. So I'm _that_ easy to read? Fine, whatever, what's the plan?"

Neil and Nikki exchanged a look. "Okay, so you don't want to talk to David, right?" Nikki asked.

"It's not that I don't _want_ to," Max said. "It's that I _can't_."

"Why not?" Nikki asked. "It'd be so easy! He's just right across the yard, I can go get him for you-"

"If Neil explained everything to you, then you should already know why I can't," Max said, crossing his arms.

"What Nikki means is," Neil said. "Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to talk to him if you had some help from us. We could just tell David that—"

Max sighed irritably and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Guys, look. I really appreciate you trying to help, I do. But you both know why I can't talk to him until the service is over. And you two just ignoring all that and telling me 'oh, just go talk to him' makes me feel like you're not listening to anything I'm saying!"

Nikki gave him a sad look. "We _are_ listening, Max. But you know David would want to know if you needed to talk—"

"I _know_ , okay?!" he said, a little more aggressively than intended. "I know he'd want me to go to him for help! I know he'd listen! I fucking _know_! Do you two really think I'm such a fucking idiot that I wouldn't know that?!"

Neil and Nikki stared at him with a look of shock, one that almost made him feel guilty. _Almost_. "I'm not talking to him until after the service is done! I don't care if it fucking kills me, he's not going to spend today dealing with my bullshit!"

Neil placed a hand on his shoulder. "Max—"

Max didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. He pushed Neil's hand away and stormed out of the shed, back towards where the rest of the campers from their summer had gathered.

"-and then my dads surprised me with a new motorcycle," Ered was saying to Space Kid as Max approached. "There's even enough room for my girlfriend on the back. Dads are the coolest, am I right?"

"Well, I mean, I haven't really seen mine in a while," Space Kid said in return. "But my mom's pretty cool, too! She helped me build the tree house in our backyard. Dee and I like to have sleepovers in it and look at the stars together!"

"Ugh, I'd give _anything_ not to ever see my mother again!" Preston said. "That fucking bitch didn't even have the decency to show up at my theater trope's third performance of Phantom of the Opera! She was too busy 'working'. Excuses! That particular performance was one of my top five!" Preston let out a sigh and reached up to wipe a tear from his eye. "At least I can rely on Gran-Gran. She's always been so supportive of my art. Unlike _some_ people!"

It shouldn't have bothered Max. Kids were allowed to hate their parents; sometimes it was completely understandable. Dee had mentioned that his parents had been awful, too, and he hadn't been angry over that. And Space Kid had already mentioned that his dad was a deadbeat.

So why the fuck was he so angry, now? What the Hell was _wrong_ with him? Why couldn't he just calm down?!

"What about you, Max?" Preston asked. "Got any horror stories about your folks?"

God damn it. God _damn_ it. "Yeah, I got a horror story for you. It's called 'my folks are fucking dead'!"

The group fell silent, all eyes now on Max. "I...Oh," Preston said slowly.

"Yeah, Preston, _oh_ ," Max said, his voice rising. "They died in a fire about a year ago and I've had to bounce around from foster home to foster home since then. But I guess your mom not coming to a performance she's probably seen a million times is pretty fucking terrible, too. I feel _so_ sorry for you."

"Max," Neil said firmly from behind him. "I know you don't want to, but you need to go talk to David _now_ —"

"I told you I can't, Neil!" Max spun around to face him as angry tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. Great, now he was fucking _crying_. "Why doesn't anybody fucking get that I _can't_?!"

"Max—"

"You think I don't realize how fucking stupid I'm being by not talking to him?" Max continued, the tears finally rolling down his face. "That I haven't spent all day _wishing_ I could just drag my sorry ass across the yard and tell him 'hey, I'm fucking depressed as shit, can you please help me like you always do, because you're a good fucking person who would stop everything just to help me with my problems but just because you _would_ doesn't mean you _should_ , especially when you're mourning the death of someone super fucking important to you?! Because I know that not being able to do that fucking _sucks_ and I may be a prick to you ninety-nine percent of the time but I'm not about to take that chance away from you?!'"

"Max?"

Max froze at the sound of someone else saying his name and slowly turned to see David staring at him, a camera in his hand and a look of utter shock on his face. "I...saw all of you together, and I thought—"

Max didn't stick around to hear David finish his sentence. Scrubbing the tears from his face, he turned and raced for the house as fast he could. He didn't look around at the other guests who were probably staring at him now, he didn't stop as someone behind him (was that Nikki? Was it David again? He didn't care) called his name. He just pried open the back door, raced towards the stairs and stormed up to his room.

He slammed the door shut behind him and slid down to the floor as he finally let the tears fall. He'd fucked it up. Of _course_ he'd fucked it up. He'd yelled at his friends, he'd ruined the service for David... Why did he expect anything else to happen? Why did he just listen to Neil or Nikki and go talk to David? Of _course_ he should have talked to David. 

Why was he so... _stupid?_

God _damn_ it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part in particular was especially difficult to get right, mostly due to all the characters who made a return. But I'm pleased with the result. And, believe it or not, a lot of this part was mostly fueled by my desire to just...completely rewrite Dolph and make him a not-god-awful character. Once again, spite fuels my writing.


	6. The Long Road Home Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm finally passes as the memorial service comes to an end, and Max is reassured of things that he already knows, but desperately needs to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Definite 'Jasper Dies At The End' spoilers here. Again, you've been warned)
> 
> Time for that good 'David does the dad thing' thing.

It was about five minutes before Max heard a knock behind him. "Max?"

Of _course_. "...Go away, David."

"Max, please open the door."

"You should go back to your guests," Max said, pulling his knees to his chest. "They're going to worry."

"Them? _I'm_ worried about _you_."

"You're not _supposed_ to worry about me today," Max said. "You're supposed to be crying over Campbell! Just...just go back downstairs, okay? I'm fine."

"Max, you're not fine," David said. "You're clearly upset by something."

"Yeah, well...if you stick around until I AM fine, then you're gonna be here for a while!" Max said angrily.

"Max, please, just tell me what happened," David said. "You know I want to help-"

"I know you do!" Max said loudly. "You're a good fucking person, who cares about me, and I know that, okay?! You're probably the best parent I've had since my actual parents died, and I'm just a terrible, angry kid with a ton of fucking emotional issues that I shouldn't be afraid to talk to you about! But I am! Because every other foster parent I've had would either yell at me, straight up ignore me, or get sick of me if I went to them about this kind of shit! And I _know_ you know this, I just..."

His words trailed off and he reached up to scrub at his eyes. "My parents didn't get a funeral either and I didn't want you to go through what I did. But I'm a fucking idiot who saw you crying over Campbell and made a leap that fucking _stupid_. I'm a double idiot for not thinking that maybe being at a damn memorial service while trying to repress all that shit might not be the smartest fucking idea. I'm a triple idiot for yelling at Neil and Nikki when all they wanted to do was help me and for yelling at everyone else when they didn't do anything wrong..."

He inhaled and exhaled heavily in an attempt to catch his breath. "I'm just...I'm so...fucking _stupid_."

There was silence now, with only the distant chatter of the people in the backyard. For a moment, Max thought that David had given up and went to rejoin them.

Until he heard David speak again: "Max, please open the door."

His voice had gone soft, serious... Like the day at the bonfire. And it was enough to pull Max to his feet and take a few steps back. "It's already unlocked."

He had barely finished his sentence when David pushed the door open, set what looked like a cup of water on the nearest hard surface (which happened to be his dresser) and wrapped his arms around Max in a tight, comforting hug.

Max tensed up for a moment, before letting his face fall against David's shirt, where he began to cry harder. He cried over his parents, he cried over the burning guilt he felt over the fact that David now had to take time away from the service to comfort him, he cried over the fact that he felt like a damn idiot and an asshole when he could have simply gone and asked for help.

He cried while David held him, and he could feel David's hand rubbing his back in a comforting motion. "It's okay, Max..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Shh, shh, you have nothing to be sorry about."

"I'm so fucking stupid."

"You're not stupid, Max."

"But I thought I was getting better!" he said, lifting his head up to look at David. "I...I thought I was finally over this stupid emotional bullshit! I...I was happy. I was actually happy for the first time in a year! But then I saw you crying over Campbell's death, I thought about my parents dying and all my shitty foster families over the year, even though that's a stupid leap to make—"

"Max, I want to apologize to you."

Max fell silent as he stared at David. "What?"

"I should have never brought up Campbell's death to you," David said, his expression melting into a look of guilt. "Honestly, I didn't want to at all. But I was upset, and I...I didn't hear you kids coming home and I'm not exactly the best liar around, you know this. But I should have done a better job in breaking the news to you. I should have known better, and I am so, _so_ sorry that I made you feel like you had to hide your feelings to the point where you broke down like this."

Max looked at the floor again. Of _course_ David would feel bad about that. "It wasn't your fault, okay? I was going to tell you after the service, but...well, you saw how well that turned out."

David cupped Max's face with one hand, and let his thumb brush his tears away. "Max, I am so flattered that you wanted today to be special for me. But it's not your responsibility to worry about me, okay? It's _my_ job to take care of _you_ , not the other way around. And when you're this upset, the first thing I want you to do is tell me so I can help you."

Max felt more tears fall down his face. "I know. _God,_ I know. Everyone keeps telling me what I already know, and I want to believe it, but..."

David's expression softened. "Do you remember the stories I used to tell you about my time at camp? The ones about the boy I used to hang out with."

"Depends on which story it is," Max said. "You've told a lot of them."

"It's...not a story I like to discuss often," David said. "It involves a lot of things I...don't like to think about. But it involves that other boy. And...a confession."

"A confession?"

David hesitated to respond for a moment. "...Mr. Campbell's death...wasn't the first one that affected me so negatively."

Max's eyes widened with realization. "O...oh..."

David nodded sadly. "I won't go into too many details, you're already upset enough as it is. But...I too went through a difficult time as a result of my friend's death. I was angry, sad...I spent a lot of time in my tent, isolated from everyone else. I slipped back into a lot of old, shameful behaviors, and did a lot of things I regret. I...even tried to run away from camp several times because everything just...hurt. It hurt to think about him, and to be there when he couldn't be. And I was afraid to ask for help, because I didn't want to be an inconvenience to anyone."

Max stared at David in shock as he continued to speak: "I know how it feels to be afraid to ask for help, Max. Believe me, I know how scary it is. And I know how it feels to not want someone you love and care about to go through all the bad things you did."

Max continued to stare up at David as more tears formed. David had gone through all the same shit that he had gone through? More than _once?_ He had spent the entire day attempting to repress his emotions for David's sake, when David probably understood better than anyone how much it hurt? How horrible it was to cry alone, how angry and sad and desperate he felt? How he could have just asked someone for help but didn't because everything inside him was telling him no, you would only bother them. They wouldn't care. Or if they did care, you would only be inconveniencing them.

He let his head fall. "I really am a fucking idiot for not talking to you sooner..."

"You're not an idiot, Max," David said, gently tilting his chin up. "You're very smart and clever and creative, and you've been through a lot of terrible things. More things than any child should have to deal with in their lifetime. Of _course_ you're not always going to be able to deal with your emotions properly or you're going to be scared to ask for help, and that's _okay_."

David's mouth curled into a soft smile. "But I will promise you right here and now that no matter what I'm doing, no matter what it is, I will never be too busy for you if you need someone to talk to. _You_ are the most important thing in my life now, Max; not Mr. Campbell, not the camp, not anything else in the world. And if I have to tell you that every single day, just so you _know_ you can believe it, then I will. I will until the day comes where you no longer need to hear it to believe it, and even then, I'll keep saying it just in case you have a bad day and need to hear it again. Because I never, ever want you to forget it."

It was everything he knew David would say, and yet he felt more tears, grateful tears of _joy_ , well up in his eyes as he let David hug him close again. At one point, he felt David pull away (likely to give him space) but Max refused to let go. So David continued to hold him close and let him cry, once again rubbing his back and softly assuring him that everything was going to be okay.

He cried because while he had known David cared about him more than life itself, it felt so good to _hear_ it. He cried because while he still felt so _stupid_ for needing David's help in the first place, it felt like a huge weight that had only grown heavier and heavier throughout the year had finally been lifted off his shoulders. He cried because crying felt so fucking _good_ and cathartic.

Mostly, he cried because he _could_.

Eventually, he stood up straight again and took a deep breath. "Thanks, David..."

"How're you feeling?" David asked.

"...Well, my head hurts like hell," Max said weakly. "But I...I feel a little better. A lot better, actually."

David chuckled. "Do you think you're ready to head back downstairs, or would you rather stay up here for the rest of the service?"

Max looked towards his bedroom window, which lay facing the backyard. "...You know what, you go ahead and go. I'll stay here for a few minutes, maybe make it look like I wasn't just a gross, emotional wreck. I mean, I know everyone else is sobbing their eyes out, but I do have a representation to uphold. One that is...probably ruined by now, but shut the fuck up and let me pretend."

"Are you sure you want me to leave you here by yourself?" David asked. "I can stay with you as long as you need me to."

"I'm fine," Max said truthfully. "Honest. I'll be down in a few."

David nodded and rose to his feet. "Drink that water I brought up for you before you come back outside. It'll help with the headache."

Of _course_ David would think of that. "Alright."

With a smile, David gently ruffled his hair (a motion that, for once, Max didn't mind). "I love you, Max."

"Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know," Max said, attempting to hid his own smile.

"I'd rather tell you something you _do_ know, just to make sure you never forget it," David said fondly.

"...Okay, I've reached my sappiness quota for now," Max said, pushing him towards the door. "Save it for your guests."

His smile widening, David exited the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Max by himself once again. He stayed still for a moment before he headed for his bed. He sat down on top of the blanket and curled up by the window as he stared down at the backyard below.

The service was still going strong, and the crowd seemed pretty unaffected by Max's previous meltdown. Or perhaps none of them had paid it much attention outside his group, which was still gathered by the shed. He could see Neil and Nikki darting away from them and out of his line of vision towards the backdoor, where he assumed David was now standing.

Of course they'd want to know what happened. Max wondered if they would follow in David's footsteps and come up to check on him, but that thought was debunked when he saw them race back to the group a moment later.

They cared a lot about him. _David_ cared a lot about him. People actually cared about him now.

His fingers gently brushed his left sleeve and he looked down at it as if he could see the scars that lay past the fabric. People actually cared about him now...

He found himself smiling wider as he rose from the bed and headed for the cup of water on his dresser. He felt his headache fade the tiniest amount as he quickly downed the water and left the room, the glass still in hand.

One was not going to cut it after the year's worth of tears he had cried in a matter of minutes.

\-------------------

It was about ten more minutes, three more glasses of water, and a few deep breaths before he finally stepped back outside.

"Max!"

And of course, Neil and Nikki were there waiting for him with worried looks on their faces. "How're you doing?" Nikki asked. "David said you were alright but-"

"I'm fine, Nik," he said. "I'm...really fine, actually."

"So you guys talked things out?" Neil asked.

"We did," Max said. "And of course it turned out fine. Like you both said, hell, like _I_ said." He looked down at the deck beneath his feet. "I...I'm sorry, guys. I was a real dick."

"Was?" Neil asked, unable to hold back a smile.

"...I _am_ a real dick," Max said, smiling in return. "I shouldn't have yelled at you guys, and I'm sorry."

"Aw, you know we can stay mad at you," Nikki said. "But...you will go to David if that happens again, right?"

Max nodded. "That I can promise. Uh...how mad is everyone else?"

Neil rubbed the back of his neck. "...Look, don't get mad, okay? But Space Kid might have let it slip that David was fostering you, so we might have explained everything to them. Well, not _everything_ , nothing too personal or anything! Just...the basics so they got it. Please don't be mad."

"It's fine, Neil," Max said. "I should go apologize to them, too."

Neil nodded and the three of them headed back towards the group. The others paused their conversations and looked towards them as they approached, and Max felt a sudden sense of guilt welling up inside him as they came to a stop. "Uh... look-"

"Hey, Shakespeare, he's back!" Nurf called towards the direction of the shed.

Preston stepped out from the other side with a dainty stride and hurried back to the group. Max resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Preston stopped before him. "Hello, Max."

"Hey, Preston..." Max said. "Look, I'd just like to-"

Preston held up a hand. "Please, I insist you let me speak first. I've been rehearsing this since you ran off."

Max raised an eyebrow. "O...kay?"

Preston inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I have been informed that the topic of your parents is a...sensitive subject," he said. "And I'd like to apologize for upsetting you."

"...Wait, are you serious?" Max asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Preston, you really didn't do anything wrong. I was just having a bad day, everything was setting me off. If anything, this was my fault—"

"Oh, no, I insist I make it up to you!" Preston said, his voice cracking as he removed his hat. "And to show you I'm serious, I...I will give you this."

"...Your hat?" Max asked.

"Not just a hat!" Preston said. "This hat used to belong to Lucas Grabeel and was originally going to be used in a scene in High School Musical, but was unfortunately cut for time! It's not even listed in the deleted scenes on the DVD!"

Max bit down hard on his lip to keep from cackling and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neil keel over in silent laughter. "H-High School Musical?" he managed to say with a straight face.

"Listen, you can laugh, but the trilogy holds up a lot better than most!" Preston said. "Tell me I'm wrong!"

"Preston," Max said with a chuckle. "It's fine, alright? You don't have to give me that."

"Oh, thank God," Preston said, placing the hat back on his head. "This thing's my most prized possession!"

"How'd you get it?" Neil asked with a snort. "Did you win it in a Radio Disney contest?"

"Yes, actually," Preston said proudly. "I'll bet I broke the hearts of at least three hundred preteen girls that day!"

"Well, I appreciate the...offer," Max said. "And look, I really am sorry I lashed out at you. It really wasn't cool, even if I was having a bad day."

"And I apologize if my egregious behavior didn't make matters any easier," Preston said. 

"Yeah, yeah, alright, you got your dumb apologies out of the way," Nurf said from the table. "Let's move on to the more important topic."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Which is-?"

"How cool it is that David's fostering you!" Nurf said, raising his hands. "I mean, my foster parents are alright, but you got _David?_ Man, some kids get all the luck. I mean, aside from the dead parents thing, my condolences."

Max's eyes widened. "Wait...you're a foster kid, too? ...Wait, you're _jealous_ of me?"

"Yeah, I was going to mention it before you stormed off," Nurf pointed out. "I mean, my parents have been in and out of prison more times than I can count. It was only a matter of time before they lost custody of me. And as for the other thing, yeah, of _course_ I'm jealous. The camp might have sucked, but I think we can all agree David made it suck less."

"I really like David!" Space Kid said cheerfully. "He's so nice!"

"And forgiving," Dee added softly.

"Yeah, David's a total dork," Ered said. "But in a way that's kind of cool, you know? Like a dorky dad."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Max said. "But, uh...still, I'm sorry I was an asshole earlier."

"Everyone has their bad days, man," Nurf said. "I get them all the time. It's why I'm seeing a therapist in the first place."

"Plus, you've always been kind of an asshole," Ered pointed out.

Max chuckled. "Yeah, alright, fair. I deserved that."

"So what _is_ David like as a parent?" Preston asked. "Does he make you go camping like, every other weekend?"

"Yeah, like I'd ever agree to that," Max said. "But...he's alright. Definitely better than the other ones I've had. Even if he bought, like, five different wax melters for the house and only uses the pine-scented ones when he could just walk across the yard if he wants to smell pine trees so badly."

"My foster mom has one of those," Nurf said. "She says they're a lot safer to use than candles. Less risk of starting a fire."

"Less risk of..." Max's expression melted into a look of fondness. "Okay, I take it back: David's the fucking best and you should all be super jealous that your parents aren't as cool as him."

"Maybe he can adopt all of us, too," Neil said jokingly. "It'll be just like camp again."

"Oh, God, don't you dare give him that idea," Max said.

A scattered laugh spread throughout the group. "You know...it's weird," Max said, looking around at them. "We were the last group that attended that stupid camp before it got shut down, and probably the group here who hated it most. And yet...we all still came to this memorial service. Even if it was because we had nothing better to do with our day, we're all still here."

He shrugged. "I don't know, does anyone else have this weird feeling inside them? Not, like, bad weird, but...weird? Like...maybe that camp wasn't as bad as we all thought? ...Okay, it was bad, but like, in hindsight, maybe it was also one of the best things to happen to us? Or am I just having a moment of gross weakness?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Neil said. "I mean, looking back, I would have killed to spend my summer someplace better. But then I wouldn't have met my best friends, or-" He glanced over at Harrison for a moment, who met his gaze. "-well, I wouldn't have met some of the most important people in my life."

"It _was_ kind of fun at times," Ered said. "I think I broke every single one of my bones that summer. That was pretty cool."

"And I liked being out in the woods all the time," Nikki said. "Made me feel right at home."

"I learned a lot about... _magic_ that summer," Harrison said, with a look towards Neil.

"And I liked learning about space!" Space Kid said cheerfully. "And going to space! I know it wasn't real, but it was still fun!"

"Ugh, is this how David feels all the time?" Max asked. "All these gross, nostalgic emotions?"

"Yes, isn't it wonderful?" A voice said behind him.

Max made a half-amused face and turned around to face David. "...Speak of the devil."

"The eulogies are about to start," David said. "If any of you would like to come up and say a few words about Mr. Campbell-"

"Absolutely not," Max said, sinking into the nearest chair. "I may have been an emotional mess today, but I still hate the guy and I've got nothing good to say about him as a person."

"Pass," Neil said, as he and several of the other kids followed suit.

"Well, if I had been told _ahead_ of time, I might have been able to prepare something," Preston said, crossing his arms. "But alas, I guess the dream is dead. Oh, maybe dead isn't the right word for this situation..."

David's smile widened. "I'm sure Mr. Campbell would have loved to hear it anyway, Preston."

"Of course he would," Preston said. "Everyone loves me."

"Yeah, you fucking wish," Max muttered under his breath as the rest of the kids took their seats.

David gave them all one last smile, which widened when his gaze landed on Max. "God, seeing you all together like this. I feel so honored I could call you all my campers at one point..."

"Don't you mean _our_ campers, pal?"

David turned to see Gwen approaching the group. "Aww, Gwen..."

"What can I say?" she said. "I've always had a sort-of weakness for these little brats."

David gave her a fond smile. "Are you _sure_ that you won't reconsider becoming a counselor again?"

"Tell you what," Gwen said. "You open up a camp of your own, and I'll _consider_ applying for the job. No promises, but I'll consider it."

"You say that as if I haven't considered opening up one already," David said with a chuckle.

"God, will you two stop flirting and go cry over Campbell already?" Max said, rolling his eyes.

"Max, shut up!" Nikki said. "If we wait long enough, they might kiss!"

David chuckled and looked at the kids. "It's nothing like that, kids. Although, we _do_ need to begin the eulogies."

Gwen nodded. "You need me to be up there with you in case you can't get through your speech without sobbing?"

"I think I can manage," David said, a smile on his face.

"Seriously, when are you two gonna kiss?!" Nikki asked, banging her fists on the table.

Both adults laughed as they headed for the memorial shrine in front of the crowd. Max looked back at the rest of the group. "So, Nikki's totally onto something and they were absolutely flirting, right?"

"Oh, no doubt," Harrison said.

"Absolutely," Preston added.

"Heh, maybe Max will have to start calling Gwen 'Mom' now," Nurf said. "...Is that too far? Am I going too far with the parent jokes?"

"Nah, you're fine, Nurf. You're full of shit, but you're fine," Max said with a laugh as he looked towards where David now stood.

He noticed David's sad smile as he waited for the crowd to settle in their seats. Even after everything that happened, even after he had spent a good part of the afternoon comforting him, David was still smiling. 

He...hadn't ruined today for David.

They had both gotten their chances to grieve.

Max felt his mouth curl into a smile (he had smiled an awful lot today, more than he had in a long time) and more tears form at the corner of his eyes as David finally began to speak before the crowd.

"For those of you who might not have known me back during my first summer at Camp Campbell," David said. "I wasn't exactly what you'd call 'a good camper'."

There was a scattered laugh throughout the crowd. "Yes, yes, I know," David said with amusement. "I was quite the little troublemaker as a child. I didn't really like nature, and honestly, I didn't see what the big deal was about Camp Campbell. I was only there because my parents had sent me there for the summer, and I just...didn't get it. But a quest to rescue a missing camper with Mr. Campbell quickly changed all that for me, and I've been in love with the camp ever since."

His smile fell the slightest amount. "I attended the camp for many years after that, both as a camper and a counselor, and fell more and move in love with it with every passing summer. I wanted to share that love with everyone I came across and hope that they could come to feel as strongly about the camp as I did."

He reached up to rub his eyes for a moment before continuing: "For many of us, the summers spent at Camp Campbell were some of the best moments of our lives. For others, it was...less so. But regardless of our feelings on the camp, or Mr. Campbell himself, there's no denying that a summer at Camp Campbell is an experience that will not be forgotten in any of our lifetimes. Camp Campbell gave us memories. It gave us friends. For some of us, it even gave us a family. It gave us people that we never realized we so desperately needed in our lives until we met them all those summers ago."

David paused for a moment, a trembling hand over his mouth. "I realize that Mr. Campbell might not have been the best role model in the world, and I'm sure many of us would often look up to him with, admittedly, rose-tinted glasses. But no matter who he was or the less-than-ideal things he might have done both inside and outside of camp, I will always be grateful to him and Camp Campbell as a whole for being a part of my life. For giving me so many wonderful memories of those summers I spent at Camp Campbell. For helping me find my family."

He looked over at Max for a moment before turning his attention back to the crowd. "The death of a loved one is a sad thing. But in that sadness, we can find happiness if we're surrounded by people who care about us. People who will support us in those sad times, or will even cry right alongside us. And hopefully, with time and love, things can be okay for us again. Whether we're happy or sad, or any other emotions in between, things will be okay because we're surrounded by so much love. And I can say without a doubt that I've never felt more love in one area then here today."

His eyes watery, he looked towards the picture of Campbell. "And I think that a man who can create this much love between people can't be all bad. Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Thank you so much..."

David's voice trailed off and he began to cry again, as Gwen hurried up to the front to lead him back to his seat. Max instinctively reached up to wipe the tears from his own eyes as someone else went up to begin their own eulogy.

He still wasn't sad about Campbell in the slightest. But he cried anyway.

\------------------

"You were right. Both of you," Max said. "I should have just gone to him first."

"We're sorry if we sort of pressured you into it," Nikki said. "We were just worried."

"I know," Max said. "But you know what? I needed someone to worry about me."

Nikki's smile widened as she gave him a big hug. "Well, you know we'll always worry about you, you little stinker!"

"Haha, alright, don't start with the height jokes," Max said, pushing her away.

"Hey, Max!" Space Kid said, as he and Dee hurried towards the table where the trio were seated. "Thanks again for inviting us! We had fun! ...I mean, even though it was about death."

"Mwack."

Space Kid looked down at the platypus in his arms. "And thanks for finding Mwack for us!"

"No problem, man," Max said. "Oh, by the way, if you're taking input on that name thing, how about...I dunno, Comet? It's space-related and it sounds cool."

Space Kid's eyes went wide. "Comet! I like it! Dee, do you like it?"

"I like it!" Dee said happily.

"Then my name is Comet!" Space Kid said, clapping his hands together. "Come on, Dee, we gotta tell my mom!"

"Bye, Max!" Dee said, waving as Space Kid led him away with his platypus-free hand.

Max felt Neil nudge him in the side. "Comet?"

"It's a thing I don't feel like explaining," Max said. "Also, judging by the fact that you didn't question the name 'Dee', I assume that he talked to you about that...other thing?"

"It was while you were upstairs," Neil confirmed.

"So...you think he's serious?" Max asked. "About trying to be better?"

Neil shrugged. "Look, I've known grown men and women who got _offended_ at being called out on their shitty, antisemitic behavior. If he's truly serious about trying to break away from all that, then I have no beef with him. Plus, he was like...eight at camp when all that was happening, I really can't stay mad at a fucking eight-year-old who's just parroting his parents."

"Say 'parroting his parents' again, it's funny," Nikki said.

Max looked back towards Dee and Space Kid (or...Comet) as they hurried towards the backyard gate. They were clearly engaged in an inaudible conversation, and even at a distance, Max could see the fond look on Dee's face as he listened to the other speak.

"...Holy shit, I know that look," Max said, as he nudged Neil frantically. "That's the look you have when you're talking to Harrison."

"Well, I'll be damned," Nikki said. "I guess the three of us weren't the only ones with gay camp crushes."

"Uh, three?" Max asked. "I didn't have a gay crush, Nikki."

Nikki jerked her thumb towards the backyard gate where Preston was leaving. "What about—"

"Nikki, don't start with that!" Max said, crossing his arms.

"Aw, come on!" Nikki said. "You had to have a crush on _someone_ at that camp!"

"No, I really didn't," Max said. "No one _has_ to have a crush on anyone. Crushes are a social pressure that make people feel like they HAVE to date someone as soon as possible, when honestly, it's not all _that_ big of a deal if you wait. At least, that's how I feel about them."

"Oh, shoot, Ered's leaving!" Nikki said, raising her voice. "Hey, Ered, wait!"

Ered and Nurf stopped by the gate at the sound of Nikki's voice and, like Dee and Space Kid, they approached the table.

"Hey, Nikki," Ered said, crossing her arms. "Your girls give the okay for the skate-off Saturday?"

"You know it!" Nikki said excitedly. "And we're going to crush you and your girl like the gay little insects you are!"

"You may have numbers, but Marissa and I _met_ in a skate park," Ered said. "We've also made out in one three times."

"Nice, nice," Nikki said, impressed. "But we're still going to win."

"In your dreams, little girl," Ered said. "We're going to stomp you."

"Well, we'll just see about that on Saturday, hot shot," Nikki said boastfully.

Ered gave her double finger guns, while Nurf rolled his eyes and pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket. "Here, Max, I almost forgot to give this to you."

"Me?" Max asked, looking down at the paper curiously.

"It's my therapist's number," Nurf said. "Like I said before, I've only been with him for a few months and I realize therapy's not for everybody. But you seem like you're going through a lot, and I figured I could try and help."

Max looked down at the card. "Oh...thanks, Nurf. That's...surprisingly nice of you."

"Hey, I might be an asshole," Nurf said. "But even I know there's some lines you do not cross when it comes to bullying. Example, I'll make fun of Neil's terrible facial hair-"

" _Thank you,_ Nurf."

"-but I won't make fun of the fact that when he wasn't helping _you_ , he and Harrison couldn't take their eyes off each other," Nurf finished. "Mostly because I'd be a hypocrite for making fun of him for that and if I _wasn't_ a hypocrite, then I know Ered and Nikki would kick my ass for it, but details."

"Aww, was it _that_ obvious?!" Neil asked miserably.

"Dude, I'm pretty sure all of us are some kind of gay," Ered said. "It's not that hard to pick up on."

"I didn't pick up on it," Max said.

"Hey, every group has to have a token straight," Ered said.

"Dang, maybe I was _way_ off," Nikki said.

"Oh, shut up, Nikki!"

Ered laughed. "Come on, Nurf, we gotta go catch our bus."

"I still don't know why we couldn't ride your motorcycle to get here," Nurf grumbled.

"Uh, bitch, are you dating me?" Ered asked. "Didn't think so."

Nurf continued to grumble as the two of them hurried towards back towards the gate and Max let out a sigh. "Is it just me, or...is everyone from camp a lot cooler than I remember?"

"Eh, I think they've always been cool," Nikki said.

"Yeah," Neil added. "I mean, we were asshole kids suffering together at camp, and now we're all a bunch of cynical teenagers. I mean, sure we had our fights and got on each other's nerves. But most of us clicked so easily even after years of seeing each other. Us three. Harrison and Nerris. Harrison and _me_. Dee, Space Kid—"

"Comet."

"You know who I mean," Neil said. "We've all stuck together after all this time. In a weird sense, I guess we're almost like a family."

"Family..." Max said slowly, as he looked over at the table where David and Gwen were seated. "Hey, you guys mind if I go talk to David about something?"

"Like you need to ask us," Neil said.

"...Good point," Max said, rising to his feet. "Later, losers."

Nikki laughed and tossed a crumbled up napkin at Max as he headed away from them. The backyard was so quiet now, with most of the guests now gone. The only ones left outside of the five of them were Harrison and Nerris, who were also seated at one of the tables. Max could hear them engaged in some nerd conversation as he passed them ("Look, all I'm saying is that Magic Brian would have kicked Edward and Lydia's asses." "Okay, but I think we're missing the big picture here, Harrison. Imagine him dating one of them and what a power couple they'd be." "Which one?" "Does it matter, they're both super hot?" "...I mean, you're not wrong.") and he continued on towards David and Gwen.

On the table before them, he could see David's camp scrapbook, and he could hear them laughing as he got closer. "Aww, look at how little they all were. God, this takes me back."

"You know, you're doing a very bad job at convincing me that you didn't like the camp," David said with a smile.

"I know," Gwen said. "But hey, how about this? You take me on your next camping trip and I'll bitch and moan the entire time just like the old days."

"Again, don't test me," David said. "Because I will hold you to that."

Gwen laughed and gently pushed him. "Oh, shut up."

Max came to a stop before them. "Hey, can I borrow David if you two are doing making googly-eyes at one another?"

"Haha, very funny," Gwen said, as she stood up. "I do have to head out anyway. I'm meeting with my publisher in about an hour."

"Ooh, are you finally going to get one of your stories published?" David asked excitedly.

"You know it, buddy!" Gwen said, with a finger gun motion. "You remember the one about the werewolves in space?"

"I do!" David said. "Oh, that was such a good one."

"Well, if this meeting works out, then you'll be the first one to receive a signed copy," Gwen said. 

"I can't wait!" David said excitedly.

With a chuckle, Gwen leaned down to give him a hug. "God, it was really good to see you again, David. We have to find more time to hang out than just once every five months."

"I'd like that a lot, Gwen," David said, hugging her back. "I mean, I guess today proves more than ever that we should spend as much time with the people we care about while we can. Just message me after your meeting and we can figure something out."

"Sounds like a plan," Gwen said, and stood up straight again with a look towards Max. "And you, be good to David, alright?"

"What? I'm _always_ good to him," Max said, faking offense. "Have a little faith in me, Gwen!"

Gwen laughed and waved goodbye as she headed for the gate. David let out a content sigh as he watched her go, and Max slipped into one of the empty chairs. "Okay, seriously, if you're going to ask her out, you should."

David's cheeks flushed red. "It's not like that, Max. We're just friends."

"Alright," Max said. "If you say so. I've got people trying to tell me who to hook up with so I won't do that to you. But...you know, if you _did_ like her, you definitely should tell her. I'm just saying."

David smiled and looked down at the scrapbook. "Gosh, you kids have grown up so much. It's a shame I couldn't get a picture of all of you now."

Max shrugged. "Well, I mean...you could just invite everyone back here for a picture. I don't know if you know this, but you're surprisingly popular as a parent. Then again, nearly everyone else's parents suck, so I guess it's not _that_ surprising."

David looked at him. "How are you doing?"

"Honestly?" Max asked. "I feel better than I have in a while. You?"

David smiled. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy."

"Yeah, okay, now I know that's a lie," Max said, crossing his arms. "You've been happy longer than I have."

David simply smiled, and looked towards the end of the yard where the forest began. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"About what?"

David looked back at him. "About being happy here."

"Oh...that," Max said. "...Yeah. I did. Even after, no, _especially_ after everything that happened today, I...I'm happier than I've been at any other foster home."

David's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear it, Max. You deserve to be happy."

Max paused for a moment. "And...did _you_ mean what you said? About...family and all that stuff?"

"Of course I did, Max," David said. "I wouldn't have a son if it weren't for those summers at Camp Campbell. I wouldn't know Gwen or my old counselors or any of the campers. Honestly, I'm not sure where I would be without it."

Max felt a surge of warmth spread from his chest to the rest of his body at David's use of the word 'son'. "Yeah, well, I'm sure you would have been a foster parent either way," he said aloud. "And if you didn't get me, you would have probably gotten some other kid instead."

"Well, then I must be the luckiest man alive," David said fondly. "Because I got one of the best kids in the world. One I wouldn't trade for anything."

"Gross, how can you still be that sappy after all the sad shit that happened today?" Max asked, making no attempt to hide his smile. "Aren't you tired?"

"I'm never too tired to make someone feel good about themselves," David said, a pleased expression his face. "Especially not my kid."

Max rolled his eyes, his smile widening at the word 'kid'. David really loved him. Of _course_ David loved him. Like there was ever a doubt. He let his gaze drift back to the others, who had gathered at one table. Neil and Nikki, they loved him too. They cared about him.

And Harrison, Nerris, everyone else... He wouldn't go so far as to say they loved him, too. But they cared about him. People _cared_ about him.

His hand instinctively traveled to his pocket and he pulled out the little scrap of paper that Nurf had given him. People cared about him... "Hey, David?"

"Yes, Max?"

He set the scrap of paper on the table. "Nurf gave me his therapist's number. Would...it be possible to maybe see if they're any good? I mean, you, Neil and Nikki are great, but...I don't know, if I'm really going to be living here a while, I don't want to have to constantly go to all of you when I'm having a hard time. I think it might be good to have someone else to go to the next time I have a day like this. Maybe?"

He let his voice trail off with an uncertain shrug as he waited for David's answer. "Why, Max, I think that's a wonderful idea!" David said. "We could talk to your social worker, and see if that can be an option for you. I'm sure she'll love the idea, too."

"Yeah, I'm sure she will," Max said. "Um...did she ever tell you about what happened with my last family?"

David's smile fell a bit. "She did. I wasn't going to bring it up, until _you_ felt comfortable enough to talk about it. But I won't pretend I haven't been worried since she mentioned it."

"I'm...I'm not going to do that again, okay?" Max assured him. "I know it was stup-I mean...I know it wasn't a good idea. I don't want to do it again. I'm _not_ going to do it again. And if I feel like I need to, I'll...I'll let you know, okay?"

David nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, Max."

"And...David?"

"Yes?"

"...Stand up for a second."

Curious, David stood up from his seat while Max did the same. He headed around the table towards David and stared up at him for a moment in silence. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around David in a warm hug. "Thanks again. For everything."

David smiled and hugged Max in return. "You're welcome, Max."

Max felt the all-too-familiar sensation of tears welling up in his eyes and he once again let himself cry against the fabric of David's shirt.

Because he knew he still could. And he knew that he would be okay once the tears finally stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. I finished them. Time to relax.


End file.
